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China has broken the record for the fastest internet connection, launching a blazing-fast service that can transfer 150 HD movies per second.
The 1,864-mile (3,000 km) fiber-optic cable runs almost the length of the country, linking Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou.
Capable of transferring 1.2 terabytes of data per second, the high-speed Internet backbone is three times faster than the fastest connection in the United States and 10 times faster than most major routes.
The launch also exceeds industry deadlines by two years, with terabyte 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 high-speed cable connects the north and south of the country with 1,864 miles (3,000 km) of fiber-optic cables running through Beijing, Wuhan and Guangzhou.
China’s network offers transfer speeds of up to 1.2 Tbps – fast enough to download 150 HD movies per second (stock image)
Tsinghua University, one of China’s leading academic institutions, cooperated with China Mobile, Huawei and the China Education and Research Network (CERNET) to develop the network.
As a “vertical” connection, the high-speed service will form part of basic Internet connections that transfer huge amounts of data between different computer networks.
Just last year, the United States upgraded its basic Internet service, Internet2, to speeds of 400 gigabits per second.
However, most basic services around the world are more than 10 times slower than the new connection in China, and transfer only about 100 gigabytes per second.
Speaking at the press conference, Wu Jianping, dean of the Network Research Institute at Tsinghua University, said the backbone will give China “advanced technology to build a faster Internet.”
Mr. Jianping added that the backbone “provides important technological reserves and will certainly become China’s important contribution to the development of the next generation of the global Internet.”
Backbone networks like these are essential for 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 will provide important technological reserves for China.
Xu Mingwei of Tsinghua University compared the network to a high-speed train that replaces 10 regular tracks used to transport the same amount of goods.
Mr. Mingwi claimed that this single network would be cheaper and easier to manage.
Most importantly for China, the network uses only Chinese-made components and software.
China has become concerned about its dependence on the United States and Japan for components such as routers.
However, everything in the new backbone is produced locally after research teams made progress in a wide range of areas.
In particular, Mr. Jianping and his team have created their own ultra-fast internet router, which is capable of handling more data than any previous model.
In China, internet users face a strict censorship regime that restricts access to Western media and limits discussion of sensitive topics.
China’s “Great Firewall” blocks Chinese internet users from accessing sites such as Facebook, Google, Instagram or Wikipedia.
Search engines operating in China have 66,000 rules to control access to content that may be considered politically sensitive according to a report by Citizen Lab.
Likewise, ChatGPT has now been banned in the country for producing responses that would otherwise be censored by the Chinese Communist Party.
(Tags for translation)dailymail