Now, a new fibre optic tech to transmit tenfold more data!
Washington: In what could boost the
capacity of strained broadband networks and improve download
time worldwide, scientists have developed a new optical fibre
technology to transmit tenfold more data over existing cables.
An international team, led by Monash University, has
pioneered the innovation which is known as optical Orthogonal
Frequency-Division Multiplexing, or oOFDM.
The technology applies Asymmetric Digital Subscriber
Line (ADSL) principles -- already used to expand the capacity
of data transfer over traditional copper and wireless
broadband -- to optical fibre cables, potentially increasing
their data capacity tenfold.
Team leader Prof Arthur Lowery said there was an
exponential growth in data-intensive Internet applications.
"More and more people are accessing broadband Internet
and using it for data-heavy activities, such as video. This
poses a major challenge to the existing optical fibre
infrastructure unless the capacity or bandwidth on existing
fibres can be augmented.
"The appeal of oOFDM is that it offers an inexpensive
means of dramatically increasing long-haul capacity from the
current transmission rate of 10 Gigabits per second to more
than 100 Gigabits per second, over new and existing optical
fibre," he said.
According to the scientists, the innovation
would allow the world's telecommunications carriers to meet a
growing consumer demand for faster download speeds without
major cost.
"Standard data transmission is equivalent to
transmitting a series of single notes, but oOFDM is more like
transmitting the notes grouped together in a chord. Since more
data is packed into the chord, more information can be sent
that is less prone to technical issues, as each signal travels
down the optical fibre," Prof Lowery said.
Bureau Report