Super speed broadband
11 Mar 2011 by Evoluted New Media
Waiting for a website to load is annoying at the best of times but a new research project aimed at making broadband internet 100 times faster could change put an end to that frustration.
Waiting for a website to load is annoying at the best of times but a new research project aimed at making broadband internet 100 times faster could change put an end to that frustration.
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Superfast broadband might be the end of waiting for downloads |
By looking at every detail of our current infrastructure, the six-year Photonics HyperHighway project hopes to pioneer new technologies to speed up the internet and ensure Britain has the hardware to cope with increasing demand.
The project – which brings together scientists from the Universities of Southampton and Essex with industry partners – recently received a £7.2 million investment from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), announced by Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts.
“The internet is fundamental to our lives and we use it for a huge range of activities – from doing the weekly food shop to catching up with friends and family,” Willetts said. “The number of broadband subscribers had grown vastly in the past ten years and we need to ensure the web infrastructure can continue to meet this demand.”
The project will look at the way fibre optics are used and develop new materials and devices to increase internet bandwidth. The project has the potential to achieve seamless, ultra-fast connections that will link people and businesses across the globe.
“Now is the time to look ahead to develop the UK infrastructure of the future,” said Professor David Payne, project leader from the University of Southampton. “Our ambition is nothing less than to rebuild the internet hardware to suit it to the needs of 21st century Britain.”
The project will hopefully ensure the web can cope with an increase in broadband subscribers and the use of services like internet TV and music downloads.
“The Photonics HyperHighway project has the potential to truly revolutionise the internet, making it much faster and more energy efficient,” Willetts said. “The project is also a shining example of the UK’s world-leading role in this area of research, and I look forward to the exciting breakthroughs it will bring.”
