Japan has set a new global benchmark in internet technology, achieving a staggering speed of 1.02 petabits per second, enough to download the entire Netflix library almost instantly. The breakthrough comes from the Photonic Network Laboratory of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), in partnership with Sumitomo Electric and European collaborators.
To put it in perspective, Japan’s experimental network is 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speed (63.55 Mbps) and 3.5 million times faster than the US average, as per NICT data.
The record-setting feat used a special fibre optic cable with 19 cores, capable of transmitting data over 1,808 km without losing speed. The fibre itself is the same size as conventional cables (just 0.125 mm thick), proving that existing infrastructure could support future ultra-high speeds.
Researchers said the new speed could theoretically download the entire English Wikipedia 10,000 times in a second, or even stream multiple 8K videos instantaneously.
The team used 19 looping circuits of 86.1 km each, through which signals passed 21 times, transmitting 180 parallel data streams at unmatched speeds and distances.
The transmission system was built by NICT with contributions from an international team, while Sumitomo Electric developed the optical fibre.
With this achievement, Japan continues to lead the way in cutting-edge infrastructure, adding to its already world-class railways, airports, and resilient construction.
