Japan Sets New World Record in Internet Speed: 402 Terabits per Second via Standard Optical Fiber

Japan Sets New World Record in Internet Speed: 402 Terabits per Second via Standard Optical Fiber

In a groundbreaking development, Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) achieved a record-breaking internet speed of 402 terabits per second (Tbps) in March 2024, utilizing conventional optical fiber. This astonishing speed is more than a thousand times faster than typical household broadband, which generally delivers speeds in the megabit range.

The announcement, made by network engineer Ben Puttman, surpasses NICT’s own previous record of 319 Tbps set in 2021, as well as the University College London’s 178 Tbps milestone from 2020.

Globally, the fastest average internet speed currently available is in the United Arab Emirates at 291.85 Mbps, followed closely by Singapore and Hong Kong. In contrast, the UK’s best commercial offering is gigabit internet (1 Gbps), though the national average sits at 110.99 Mbps. At the other end of the spectrum, the British Indian Ocean Territory records one of the slowest averages at just 2.38 Mbps.

Japan’s latest advancement could mark a transformative step toward a future where lightning-fast internet becomes the global standard.