AT&T said it recently conducted an optical-fiber transmission capacity test over a simulated 580-kilometer link that produced total bandwidth of 32 Terabits per second.
According to AT&T, the results exceeded the bandwidth capacity of the previous record-setting test by 25% and over more than twice the distance.
The telco worked with network-equipment provider NEC and fiber-optic cabling supplier Corning on the test. The researchers transmitted data at 114 Gigabits per second over 320 separate optical channels on a single optically amplified link.
"IP traffic on the AT&T network is growing at about 45% year over year, so groundbreaking research efforts like this are critical to our ongoing efforts to stay ahead of our customers' rapidly evolving and expanding needs," Peter Magill, AT&T Labs executive director of optical systems research, said in a statement.
The companies did not indicate when the technology may be ready for commercial deployment.
