Microsoft-backed researchers have increased data transmission speeds by 45 percent with a new-generation fiber technology. The hollow-core fiber cables, developed by scientists at the University of Southampton, accelerate data transfer while also offering the lowest signal loss in optical communication.

Microsoft is maximizing internet speeds

This technology will accelerate data transfers between cloud data centers and reduce latency in mobile networks. Lower latency offers a significant advantage in timing-critical areas such as AI model training, remote surgery, and autonomous vehicles.

In conventional fiber optic cables, light travels at approximately 200 million meters per second through glass. However, the speed of light in air is 300 million meters per second. Therefore, researchers have long been working on designs that transmit light through air-filled channels instead of glass. However, first-generation hollow-core fiber models were impractical due to high signal loss.

Southampton-based Lumenisity, acquired by Microsoft in 2021, overcame this problem with its own design. The new cables have reduced signal loss to less than 0.1 decibels per kilometer, making them even more efficient than traditional fiber optics.

Francesco Poletti, one of the research team leaders, says this DNANF design is one of the most significant optical communication breakthroughs of the last 40 years. Thanks to its low signal loss, it will reduce the need for signal boosters in networks. This translates to lower energy consumption and more environmentally friendly network infrastructures.

The new fiber is reportedly not only faster but also capable of providing 5 to 10 times wider bandwidth. Microsoft is in high demand for these cables in its own data centers and will use most of the initial production capacity. It is anticipated that the technology will be available to other data center operators within approximately five years, once international standards are finalized.