A breakthrough in laser technology by the Federal Polytechnic in Zurich could end the need to lay cables under the ocean.
The university used a laser to send one terabit a second from the city of Bern to the top of the Jungfrau Mountain – a straight line distance of 53km.
Researchers say the technology can be easily scaled up from one terabit a second to 40, matching the capability of a fibre optic cable under the ocean.
The cost saving could be immense. It costs hundreds of millions to lay ocean cables – and it could also be used to deliver the internet from low-earth satellites.
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