With the promise of operating several times faster than existing networks, China has begun to roll out what it calls the most advanced internet network in the world.
According to Chinese tech manufacturer Huawei, the network can transfer data from 150 movies in a second at a speed of approximately 1.2 terabits, or 1,200 gigabits, per second.
The backbone network can transfer data at 1.2 terabits (1,200 gigabits) per second between Beijing in the north, Wuhan in central China, and Guangzhou in the southern province of Guangdong. It is named such because it serves as the main data route between cities. After operating reliably and passing all operational tests, the line—which spans more than 3,000 km (1,860 miles) of optical fiber cabling—was formally launched on Monday. It was first activated in July.
These are theoretical speeds that will not soon be available in consumers’ homes. However, a stronger, quicker internet connection has far-reaching effects on businesses, including quicker information transfers, benefits for stock trading, and other implications for national security.
This week, at a press conference, Huawei and China Mobile, in collaboration with Tsinghua University in Beijing and Cernet, an education and research network supported by the Chinese government, formally unveiled the nation’s next-generation backbone network. A backbone network is the network infrastructure that carries internet traffic to various geographical locations and can handle large-scale data transfers from electric cars and 5G technologies.
A translated press release states that the new network connects Beijing and the south via 1,800 miles of optical fiber cables. It withheld information about its intentions to grow across the nation.
While testing and operation began this summer, it is launching roughly two years ahead of schedule according to experts.
Following months of hostility between the two superpowers, President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet in San Francisco on Wednesday. According to the press release, Jinping had previously stated that the country will become “a cyber power” and “accelerate the promotion of core Internet technologies” as a result of the backbone network’s development.
However, unlike how it otherwise competes with AI, semiconductors, or wireless networking technology, this doesn’t directly threaten the US because it applies to internet infrastructure rather than home internet speeds. On the other hand, it might provide a basis for Chinese companies that need a lot of bandwidth.
The backbone internet project is being overseen by Wu Jianping, a professor at Tsinghua University’s Department of Computer Science and Technology. According to the press release, the system—which consists of both hardware and software—was developed, manufactured, and is under independent control in China.
The timing of a significant tech launch and a visit to the US has happened before. During a late summer visit by some US diplomats, Huawei unveiled the much-awaited Mate 60 Pro smartphone, which boasts a revolutionary 5G chip manufactured in China. After extensive US efforts to limit China’s access to foreign chip technology, the US government later said it was looking into how the company would have the technology to make such a chip.
Source: Cosmo Politian
