News

Japan Sets A New Internet Speed Record With 319 Terabits Per Second

That’s around 7.6 million times faster than the internet connection you probably have at home.

Published

4 years ago

October 2, 2021

David Morelo

japan sets a new internet speed record with 319 terabits per second

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Don’t you sometimes wish your internet speed was a bit faster when browsing the web, streaming online content, playing multiplayer games, or participating in a video conference? Most people do, including scientists at Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). Recently, NICT set a new internet speed record when a group of its scientists successfully transferred data at 319 Terabits per second (Tbps) over a simulated 3,001-kilometer distance.

To put the record-breaking data transfer speed into perspective, the average fixed broadband download speed worldwide currently sits around 100 Mbps, which is around 3 million (yes, million) times slower. The new record is a significant achievement even as far as internet speed records go because it’s almost double the previous world record (179 Tbps), which was achieved by British and Japanese researchers in August 2020.

Transmitting data at such an unimaginably fast speed required plenty of innovation and cutting-edge technologies. Whereas typical fiber-optic cables have just one core designed for light transmission, the cable used by the team of Japanese researchers who set the new record had four cores. The transmitted data was fired using a 552-channel comb laser at multiple wavelengths and given a boost by rare earth amplifiers.

Since the entire test took place under laboratory conditions, you shouldn’t expect your local internet service provider to follow suit in the near future by implementing similar technologies due to their cost. The most likely real-world applications of the cutting-edge system involve high-speed backbone communication.

Also Read: Super Fast 6G Connectivity Is Closer Than You Think

“It is hoped that such fibers can enable practical high data-rate transmission in the near-term, contributing to the realization of the backbone communications system necessary for the spread of new communication services beyond 5G,” write NICT researchers.

Considering how much we’ve progressed since Caltech set its 186 Gbps internet speed record in 2011, we can’t help but imagine where we’ll be in another decade or two.

News

AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs

Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.

Published

1 week ago

November 1, 2025

Nour Nasir

AltoVolo

AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.

The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.

“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.

The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.

To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.

Also Read: Snapchat Opens Qatar Office To Deepen Gulf Presence

Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.

Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.