Chinese team sets hollow-core fiber records over 1,007 kilometers

Researchers in China have demonstrated two-way data transmission over 1,007 kilometers using hollow-core fiber, setting new records for the technology, according to TechRadar, citing CCTV via Interesting Engineering.

The link carried 64 terabits per second in each direction. Individual signals traveled its full length in 3.43 milliseconds. The team reported a transmission distance about 50 times greater than previous hollow-core trials of the same type and a 30% reduction in latency. Signal-to-noise ratios and loss margins also improved, according to the researchers.

The work involved the China Telecom Research Institute, Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable (YOFC), and ZTE Corporation. Hollow-core fiber has a glass lattice around an air-filled core, unlike conventional solid-core fiber. The design reduces resistance to light, which can enable faster transmission and lower latency.

Microsoft signed a deal last year with Corning and Heraeus to scale up hollow-core fiber production for its Azure cloud platform. Around 15,000 kilometers are expected to be in place supporting Azure by the end of this year, the source reports.

Hollow-core fiber is more difficult to make and install than solid-core fiber, and is better suited to large infrastructure projects than home broadband connections. Data centers already use the technology, while cellular networks have been cited as a possible future application. The researchers said improvements to the glass lattice are intended to reduce lag and increase stability.