BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua): A Chinese research team has developed an integrated communication system that bridges optical fiber and wireless networks, setting a new world record for data transmission speed. The findings were published on Thursday in the journal “Nature”.
As demand for computing power in AI-driven data centers grows and next-generation 6G wireless networks take shape, the need for ultra-fast and low-latency data transmission has become increasingly urgent. However, differences in signal architecture and hardware between optical fiber and wireless systems have long hindered seamless, high-speed transmission across both platforms on shared infrastructure.
The research team — comprising Peking University, Peng Cheng Laboratory, ShanghaiTech University, and the National Optoelectronics Innovation Center — successfully developed a converged communication system capable of achieving single-channel signal transmission speeds of 512 Gbps over optical fiber and 400 Gbps over wireless networks.
According to Wang Xingjun, one of the study’s corresponding authors from Peking University, the newly developed system supports dual-mode transmission across both optical fiber and wireless networks. This approach not only overcomes bandwidth limitations and reduces noise accumulation but also enhances resistance to signal interference.
To demonstrate its capability, the team simulated a large-scale 6G user access scenario, enabling multichannel real-time 8K video streaming across 86 channels. The achieved transmission bandwidth was more than ten times faster than the current 5G standard.
Beyond delivering ultra-high capacity communication, the system also performs efficiently in terms of energy consumption, cost, and scalability for large-scale deployment. Its all-optical architecture allows seamless integration with existing optical networks, promoting deeper convergence between mobile access networks and fiber infrastructure.
Wang emphasized that the system holds significant potential for applications in 6G base stations and wireless data centers. The breakthrough could help reshape telecommunication system architecture and lay a strong foundation for next-generation ultra-broadband, high-speed integrated fiber-wireless communication.
