The scientists of Bell Laboratories, the research and development arm of Alcatel-Lucent have created a new record with an optical data transmission speed of more than 100 Petabits per second, which is almost equivalent to sending 400 DVDs per second over 7,000 kilometers.

“There is no question that this record breaking transmission is a milestone in achieving the network capacity and speeds and a key step forward in satisfying the ongoing explosion in demand,” said Gee Rittenhouse, head of Bell Labs Research.

The record was set using 155 lasers, each operating at a different frequency and carrying 100 Gigabits of data per second, leveraged to dramatically enhance the performance of standard Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology, said the company.

Besides, new detection techniques and a diverse range of technologies in modulation, transmission, and signal processing were also employed.

The network implemented in the record transfer speed consisted of repeaters, the devices used to sustain optical signal strength over long distances, spaced 90 kilometers apart.