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New world record!

We’ve seen plenty of that at the Tokyo Olympics, including our own Tatjana Schoenmaker in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke.

A special mention to Norway’s Karsten Warholm, who won what many are calling the greatest race in Olympic history, smashing his own world record in the process.

Now for a world record that required very little athletic prowess, but is also worthy of a solid pat on the back.

Last month, scientists at Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) smashed the internet transfer record by shifting data at 319Tbps (terabits per second), which isn’t too far off doubling the previous record, 178Tbps.

For some perspective, at 319Tbps, you could download over 7 000 high-definition movies in a single second.

Engadget on how the scientists achieved such wizardry:

It involved addressing every part of the pipeline, upgrading the fiber optic line with four cores over the usual single core in typical lines, while the laser was amplified at its source.

It also wasn’t shooting under any oceans or anything: The scientists used coiled cabling to simulate a 1,864-mile [3 000km] distance.

The thing that has the techies most excited is that this could actually make a difference to you and me down the line.

Here’s Interesting Engineering:

Crucially, the novel four-core optical fiber possesses the same diameter as a conventional single-core fiber, bracketing the protective cladding around it.

In other words, integrating the new method into existing infrastructure will be far simpler than other technological overhauls to societal information systems.

You won’t get those sorts of speeds at home, but you don’t need them, anyway.

Even if you’re running multiple devices, with a cheeky download in the background, 20Mbps should be more than enough to handle the load.

RSAWEB has a promotion running currently, with 35Mbps uncapped home fibre starting from R495, as well as a range of other deals.

If you sign up for a 50Mbps line speed, you’ll also get a free mini-UPS device.

This nifty power supply unit will ensure that your router will remain online and connected, even when load shedding strikes and the power goes out.

You can look through the full range of RSAWEB deals here.

[sources:engadget&interestingengineering]