What is the fastest broadband in the world? You certainly won't find it in the UK, with the fastest here being run by Virgin Media at 120Mbps. The fastest in the US is Google Fiber at 1Gbps (1250Mbps). The fastest in the world is actually in Japan, with a company called So-net (owned by Sony) having a network that can run up to 2Gbps. But a recent BT test may pave the way for broadband in the UK to blast past the rest of the world, without having to upgrade the existing fibre network.
BT previously announced plans to start tests and eventually start upgrading the fibre network to the same technology that underpins Google Fiber and So-net broadband, allowing for speeds up to 330Mbps. However, upgrading the network like this would take a lot of time and cost a fortune, with this type of broadband expected to cost up to £50 a month. But now BT have tested a different solution in partnership with Alcatel-Lucent. This solution uses existing fibre cables meaning bringing this setup to homes will cost a lot less than alternatives. And the test also proved it to be capable of record speeds, after achieving speeds of 1.4Tbps, or around 1400Gbps. Obviously, real world broadband won't be as fast as this, but even if they limit it to a tenth, that's still a good 140Gbps. That sort of speed would do wonders for your online life and technology. You could have dozens of devices online without slowing things down, you can play online gaming without any lag, you can finally embrace the cloud fully into your life. BT also say it provides a more reliable connection, with less downtime and possibly a larger range, depending on the router. BT are already in talks with Alcatel-Lucent to set up the new network, so you should expect further tests soon, and eventually ultrafast broadband for the UK.