Researchers break Internet speed records

NEW YORK - A group of researchers led by the University of Tokyo has broken Internet speed records — twice in two days. Operators of the high-speed Internet2 network announced Tuesday that the researchers on Dec. 30 sent data at 7.67 gigabits per second, using standard communications protocols.

The next day, using modified protocols, the team broke the record again by sending data over the same 20,000-mile path at 9.08 Gbps.

That likely represents the current network's final record because rules require a 10 percent improvement for recognition, a percentage that would bring the next record right at the Internet2's current theoretical limit of 10 Gbps.

However, the Internet2 consortium is planning to build a new network with a capacity of 100 Gbps. With the 10-fold increase, a high-quality version of the movie "The Matrix" could be sent in a few seconds rather than half a minute over the current Internet2 and two days over a typical home broadband line.

Researchers used the newer Internet addressing system, called IPv6, to break the records in December. Data started in Tokyo and went to Chicago, Amsterdam and Seattle before returning to Tokyo. The previous high of 6.96 Gbps was set in November 2005.

Speed records under the older addressing system, IPv4, are in a separate category and stand at 8.8 Gbps, set in February 2006.

The Internet2 is run by a consortium of more than 200 U.S. university. It is currently working to merge with another ultrahigh-speed, next-generation network, National LambdaRail.

The announcement of the new record was made at the Internet2 consortium's spring meeting, which ends Wednesday in Arlington, Va. FULL STORY

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How long before they upgrade consumer services to this speed level, or something similar?

How do you think this will affect the internet?

Do you think the Internet2 will come into existance with this technology and with it more regulation, and more cost to us?

You know this is interesting and it brings up some even more interesting questions, not just about surfing speeds but about how these new speeds are going to be implemented and what for.

Its no secret that the web has become a much more user based system of disseminating media over the past few years and this could lead the way for even better streaming technology and even bigger video files being shared.. Whilst costs of BW drop, the types of media we see on the web are growing in size, it wasnt that long ago when a 5 minute video clip was considered 'huge' by pretty much everyone, now we see media files that last 100-200-300 minutes long.

How long is it going to be before all media is streamed 'online' and in to our homes?

The AppleTv has already started to do something like this, its going to be interesting to see how this type of media takes off over the next couple of years, especially if we have the ability en mass to reach those types of speeds while browsing the net :)

Regards,

Lee

what Id like to know is what the cost is going to be?