Chinese researchers set world record for real-time optical fiber transmission

A research team in China has achieved a new world record for real-time bidirectional optical fiber transmission, reaching a speed of 3.2 petabits per second (Pb/s). The breakthrough was a collaborative effort involving the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), Peng Cheng Laboratory, and FiberHome Tengcang Fiber Technology Co., Ltd.

Using a 24-core multi-core optical fiber and combining S+C+L band multiplexing with space-division multiplexing, the team created thousands of parallel transmission channels. This architecture increases the total transmission capacity of a single fiber by approximately 32 times compared to traditional single-mode fibers. To put the speed in perspective, 3.2 Pb/s is capable of downloading over 20,000 4K movies in a single second.

Unlike previous laboratory simulations that reached higher theoretical speeds, this experiment utilized commercially viable coherent optical modules and equipment operating in real-time. The technology is designed to address the capacity limits of traditional single-mode fibers, providing essential infrastructure support for large-scale computing hubs, backbone transmission, and 6G networks as AI and data center demands continue to grow.