The Internet backbone connects three cities along 1,846 miles
The new network can transfer 1.2 terabytes of data per second
China has broken the record for the fastest internet connection, launching an astonishingly fast service that can transfer 150 high-definition movies every second.
The 1,864-mile (3,000 km) fiber-optic cable spans almost the entire country, connecting Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou.
With the ability to transfer 1.2 terabytes of data per second, the ultra-high speed Internet backbone is three times faster than the US’s fastest connection and 10 times faster than most major routes.
The launch also beats industry deadlines by two years, with terabyte-speed services not expected to launch until at least 2025.
While the network was activated on July 31, it was only officially launched during a press conference held on Monday after performing well in tests.
The ultra-high-speed cable connects the north and south of the country with 1,864 miles (3,000 km) of fiber optic cable passing through Beijing, Wuhan and GuangzhouChina’s network offers transfer speeds of 1.2 terabytes per second – fast enough to download 150 high-definition movies per second (image)
Great Firewall of China
In China, internet users face a strict censorship regime that restricts access to Western news channels and restricts discussion of sensitive topics.
Its “Good Firewall” prevents users from accessing websites such as Facebook, Google, Instagram or Wikipedia.
The search engines operating in China have 66,000 rules to control access to content that could be considered politically sensitive, according to a Citizen Lab report.
Similarly, ChatGPT has now been banned in the country for producing responses that the Chinese Communist Party would otherwise censor.
Tsinghua University, one of China’s leading academic institutions, partnered with China Mobile, Huawei and the China Education and Research Network (CERNET) to develop the network.
As a “backbone” connection, the ultrahigh-speed service will form part of the Internet’s core connections that transfer large amounts of data between different computer networks.
Just last year, the United States upgraded its Internet backbone service, Internet2, to reach speeds of 400 gigabytes per second.
Around the world, however, most backbone services are over 10 times slower than China’s new connection, transferring only around 100 gigabytes per second.
At the press conference, Wu Jianping, dean of the Network Research Institute at Tsinghua University, said the backbone would provide China with the “advanced technology to build an even faster internet”.
Jianping added that the backbone “provides important technical reserves and will surely become China’s important contribution to the development of the next-generation global Internet.”
Backbone networks like this are critical to the rapid growth of data-driven industries and support 5G networks that enable self-driving cars and industrial vehicles.
Wu Jianping, of Tsinghua University, said the updated Internet backbone would provide important technological reserves for China
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Xu Mingwei of Tsinghua University compared the network to a super-fast train that replaces 10 regular tracks used to transport the same amount of freight.
This single network would be cheaper and easier to manage, Mingwei argued.
Important for China is that the network uses only Chinese-made components and software.
China has become concerned about its dependence on the US and Japan for components such as routers.
However, everything in the new spine is domestically produced and the research teams have made progress in a wide range of areas.
In particular, Jianping and his team created their own super-fast Internet router, which can handle more data than any previous model.
In China, internet users face a strict censorship regime that restricts access to Western news channels and restricts discussion of sensitive topics.
China’s “Great Firewall” prevents Chinese internet users from accessing sites such as Facebook, Google, Instagram or Wikipedia.
The search engines operating in China have 66,000 rules to control access to content that could be considered politically sensitive, according to a Citizen Lab report.
Similarly, ChatGPT has now been banned in the country for producing responses that the Chinese Communist Party would otherwise censor.
WHAT ARE THE PLANS TO SUPPLY THE WORLD WITH THE INTERNET?
Access to the Internet was declared a basic human right in 2016 by the United Nations.
However, many people around the world struggle to get online due to lack of infrastructure or high costs.
Worldwide, 3.8 billion people are without fast and reliable broadband service, according to the application.
Several companies have since begun efforts to provide coverage worldwide.
Amazon has launched Project Kuiper which it describes as “a long-term initiative to launch a constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites that will provide low-latency, high-speed broadband connectivity to unserved and underserved communities around the world.”
The company recently filed an application with the FCC to launch more than 3,000 low-Earth orbit satellites into space to help with the project.
The satellites will orbit 589 km to 629 km (366 to 391 miles) above Earth.
The ROK GROUP will launch a City Wide Wi-Fi network in 25 Indian cities.
The move comes in line with the Indian government’s efforts to provide internet access to all Indian cities.
The Wide Wi-Fi Network will provide internet access across large parts of India and will be operated in collaboration with BSNL.
It was founded with a purpose, to bring high speed internet to India.
Elon Musk’s STARLINK The project paves the way for the use of low-orbit satellites to provide more efficient internet for the world.
SpaceX intends to begin launching operational satellites as early as 2019, with the goal of reaching the full capacity of 4,425 satellites by 2024.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the plan, which only requires SpaceX to launch 50 percent of the satellites by March 2024, and all by March 2027.
They are the first in a constellation of thousands of satellites, designed to provide low-cost broadband services from low Earth orbit.
FACEBOOK is working on plans for the “Simba” project, named after the Lion King character, an undersea cable that will circle the continent with landings on several coasts.
Facebook is in talks to develop an undersea data cable that would encircle the continent, according to people familiar with the plans, an effort aimed at reducing bandwidth costs and making it easier for the social media giant to sign up more users.
GOOGLEs undersea cable plans are much longer, as they have confirmed construction plans for a cable connecting Portugal and South Africa.
Google’s cable, called Equiano, will have 20 times the capacity of recent projects in the region and will first branch out into Nigeria – Africa’s largest internet market.
