TOKYO, Japan – Japan has officially shattered the global internet speed record, clocking a staggering 1.02 petabits per second (Pbps)—the fastest ever recorded.
The breakthrough, unveiled by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), marks a monumental leap in global data transmission and could revolutionize the internet as we know it.
To put this into perspective, this speed is so fast that downloading the entire English Wikipedia or Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper archive from 1960 to 2025 would take less than one second.
The Science Behind the Super Speed
The record was set using a newly developed 19-core optical fibre, engineered in collaboration with Sumitomo Electric and European researchers.
What makes it even more groundbreaking is that the cable maintains the same standard width—just 0.125 mm—as existing fibre optics.
This means it could theoretically be integrated into current infrastructure without needing a complete overhaul.
More impressively, the signal travelled over 1,800 kilometres without degradation, proving its potential for ultra-fast connectivity across continents—not just cities.
Just How Fast is 1.02 Petabits Per Second?
Let’s break it down:
- 1 Pbps = 1,000,000 Gbps
- At this speed, you can transmit 127,500 gigabytes per second
- That’s enough to stream over 10 million HD videos at once
In comparison:
- It’s 3.5 million times faster than the average internet speed in the U.S.
- And a jaw-dropping 33.5 million times faster than Kenya’s average fixed broadband speed of 30.4 Mbps
Kenya’s Position in the Global Internet Race
While Japan soars into the future, Kenya is still catching up. According to global broadband rankings, Kenya:
- Averages 30.4 Mbps on fixed broadband
- Ranks outside the top 100 globally
- Still leads East Africa, ahead of Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda
Despite being home to Silicon Savannah and excelling in mobile money and e-commerce, Kenya’s fixed internet remains underpowered and unevenly distributed, especially in rural areas.
Bridging the Digital Divide
With Japan’s new benchmark, the bar for global connectivity has risen once again. For Kenya, the key to closing the gap will lie in:
- Expanding fibre optic networks
- Upgrading from outdated copper infrastructure
- Investing in submarine cables, satellite links, and data centres
While challenges persist, Kenya’s digital transformation is already underway. But with the internet evolving faster than ever, staying competitive will require bold investments and policy innovation to ensure no one is left behind.
