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Scientists Test World's Fastest Wireless Network

Posted by Soulskill on from the what-can't-lasers-do dept.

MojoKid writes "Scientists in Pisa, Italy claim to have set a new world record for the fastest wireless data transmission. They report that they were able to achieve throughput speeds above 1.2 Terabits per second, which they say beats the previous wireless data transmission speed record of 160 Gigabits per second, achieved by Korean scientists. The technology that the Pisa scientists utilized actually shares a significant similarity with fiber optics. Unlike Wi-Fi or microwave communications, which use radio-based transmissions, the Pisa scientists used a technology called free-space optical communications. In free space optics, an energy beam is collimated and transmitted through space rather than being guided through an optical cable."

8 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Not really wireless by Dr.Pete · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While technically achieved without wires, the thing with WiFi is that you can used the omnidirectional nature of the transmission (along with refraction and diffraction of the signal) to access the signal anywhere within its range, often without line of sight. Naturally, free space optics requires an uninterrupted line of sight and significant alignment procedures. Now I'm not saying line of sight networking is useless (it was used to great effect after 9/11 and is great for places you need a temp. network but can't string a wire) but comparing it to radio WiFi is a bit apples/oranges.

    1. Re:Not really wireless by xZgf6xHx2uhoAj9D · · Score: 4, Informative

      They weren't comparing it to WiFi specifically. They were comparing it to wireless as a whole.

      It is "really wireless". It doesn't use wires.

    2. Re:Not really wireless by SleepingWaterBear · · Score: 5, Funny

      Of course, packetloss due to geese...

      And depending on the power of the laser, there's the inevitable worry of gooseloss due to packets.

  2. I always knew... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I always knew those scientists in Pisa leaned toward having faster networks. They've always towered over the rest of the world, technologically.

    1. Re:I always knew... by NotBornYesterday · · Score: 4, Funny

      I disagree. Many of their innovations look impressive, but upon examination, the underlying science, the "foundation", if you will, is weak, requiring extensive engineering after the fact to try to keep it stable.

      --
      I prefer rogues to imbeciles because they sometimes take a rest.
  3. This has happened before by yttrstein · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I was about to say the same thing about wireless being omnidirectional and "free space" optics being single point source and directional.

    It occurs to me however that this is not new technology. Back in Chicago in the mid 90s, I did some interesting work at a very well funded mom-and-pop ISP that was playing with some "line of sight" (RF and optical) T-1 equivalents. The "free space optic" portion of the circuit died completely every time it rained, so it wasn't too terribly useful for anything outdoors, like shooting a high speed line across town by aiming a couple of transceivers out some open windows.

  4. CMCps by xigxag · · Score: 4, Funny

    Another way to look at that is 6/10ths of a Comcast Monthly Cap per second.

    --
    There are two kinds of people: 1) those who start arrays with one and 1) those who start them with zero.
  5. ludicrous speed! by glindsey · · Score: 3, Funny

    they were able to achieve throughput speeds above 1.2 Terabits per second

    Unfortunately, what they didn't tell you was that all those bits were zeroes.