Skip to main content

Record-breaking fiber-optic research is good news for high-speed VR, 4K data transfer

university of illinois breaks fiber optic record urbana champagne feng
University of Illinois engineers (from left to right, graduate students Curtis Wang and Michael Liu with Professor Milton Feng) developed fiber-optic technology that can transmit data at 57Gbps, without errors. Brian Stauffer/University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne
While today’s fiber-optic networks are capable of supporting our Netflix and YouTube streaming demand, virtual reality and 4K video could place a strain on the system. But researchers are already finding ways to meet a future of increasingly big data: Engineers at the University of Illinois have set a new record for fiber-optic data transmission, breaking previous theories that fiber optics have a limit in how much data they can carry.

The engineers transmitted 57Gbps of error-free data at room temperature. The group, led by Professor Milton Feng, improved on its previous work in 2014, when it achieved 40Gbps. The keywords here are “error free,” which is what makes this research unique from other that claim faster speeds.

The ability to send big data at high speeds is crucial, Feng said. “There is a lot of data out there, but if your data transmission is not fast enough, you cannot use data that’s been collected; you cannot use upcoming technologies that use large data streams, like virtual reality. The direction toward fiber-optic communication is going to increase because there’s a higher speed data rate, especially over distance.”

But what’s more interesting is that the engineers were still able to transmit 50Gbps at high temperatures of up to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. For data center builders, this is significant because “achieving high speeds at high temperatures is very difficult,” Feng said. “That’s why data centers are refrigerated and have cooling systems.”

Feng adds that the discovery could also benefit “airborne, lightweight communications” in airplanes, due to fiber-optic wires’ light weight and the resistance to high temperatures. Shedding any weight off a plane where possible can help conserve fuel.

Major tech and telecom companies are betting big on fiber-optic infrastructures to deliver the massive amount of data. But as Engadget points out, the technology is proven for short distances, like in data centers and planes, but the challenge might be in how fast fiber optics can carry big data across long distances, without degrading when it reaches the destination.

Les Shu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I am formerly a senior editor at Digital Trends. I bring with me more than a decade of tech and lifestyle journalism…
Best HP laptop deals: Get a 14-inch Windows laptop for $170
An open HP Spectre x360 16 sits on a table, angled so that the screen and keyboard can be seen.

HP is one of the best laptop brands out there, and they're not afraid to slash their prices. Whether you're looking for cheap Chromebook deals or powerful gaming laptop deals, HP has something to offer. Below we've collected the best laptop deals on HP computers from around the internet. Models include the Pavilion, Victus, 17z and the mighty Omen.

HP 14-inch Laptop -- $170, was $200

Read more
Apple’s cheaper Vision Pro headset may have been scrapped, report claims
Apple Vision Pro being worn by a person while using a keyboard.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset is still months away from launching, but one well-known analyst has already painted a bleak picture for the device. According to the assessment, Apple might have canceled a low-cost version of the Vision Pro, leaving potential customers in the lurch.

The news was published in a report from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is thought to have well-placed sources in Apple’s supply chain. Previous leaks have suggested that Apple is working on a cheaper edition of the Vision Pro -- due to launch in 2025 -- to help users who can’t afford the base model’s $3,499 price tag, but Kuo thinks those plans might have been scrapped entirely.

Read more
Best Razer gaming laptop deals: Save on the Blade 14, 15, and 17
Someone using the Razer Blade 14 on a table.

Razer is a staple computing brand that gamers have learned to trust. Whether you just have a Razer headset or Razer gaming mouse, you've probably grown to start trusting the signature neon three-headed snake. Razer makes great gaming laptops because they only make gaming laptops. They're not just dipping their toes in the space. Quality comes with a price, but thankfully there are good gaming laptop deals on Razer machines. All of the Razer gaming laptop deals below come straight from their site, so you can trust that the laptop is going straight from their warehouse to you. Check out the deals below on various configurations of the Razer Blade 14, 15 and 17 gaming laptops.
Razer Blade 14 -- $1,800, was $2,000

This smallest Razer laptop still has everything you could need from a gaming computer, from the powerful components to the fun aesthetics. Inside the Razer Blade 14, you get an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, which has 16  cores. The graphics card is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060. It's a quality graphics card that will handle demanding modern games, VR and even ray tracing. It comes stock with 16GB of RAM. The screen only gets 1080p, but it has a 144Hz refresh rate that will keep your frame rate smooth. On the outside, you get a full RGB keyboard, just for fun.

Read more