Researchers have broken the capacity limits of fiber optic networks

06 Jul 2015 • engadget.com

Engineers have usually cranked up the power of the signal to send and receive data faster. However, at one point, that power increase starts to create interference, degrading whatever’s getting send to the point of not delivering the data at all. As more light is beamed through cases, the amount of interference between carriers increases - at some point, the data becomes so distorted that it can’t be untangled and decoded by the receiver. This time, engineers were able to send the information 7,400 miles without the need for pricey electronic regenerators to boost the signal.

The breakthrough here comes from wideband “frequency combs” that keeps signal distortions predictable (and thus reversible) and the end of the line – and it means the capacity of the world’s fiber optic networks could gain a very a substantial boost.

To me this sounds a little like recent cellular signal innovations. We’re learning how to make distortions and interference work with us not against us.