Tokyo boffins crack internet speed record

An international team led by the University of Tokyo has set two consecutive Internet2 Land Speed Records (I2-LSRs) in the IPv6 single and multi-stream categories.

Using standard TCP, the team successfully transferred data in the single and multi-stream categories at a rate of 7.67Gbps, the equivalent of 230,100 terabit-metres per second (Tb-m/s).

Not satisfied with these results, the next day the team used a modified version of TCP to achieve an even better record.

The announcement at the annual Internet2 Spring Member Meeting marks the ninth and 10th time that a University of Tokyo-led team has achieved an I2-LSR.

As an open and ongoing competition for the highest-bandwidth for end-to-end networks, the Internet2 LSR awards recognise the fastest rate at which data is transferred multiplied by the distance travelled.

The Tokyo team collaborated with Wide Project, NTT Communications, JGN2, SURFnet, Canarie, Pacific Northwest Gigapop and other institutions.

The network path covered over 30,000km in distance, crossing six international networks, and equalling three-quarters of the circumference of the Earth.

Using the same 30,000km path, the network was able to achieve a throughput of 9.08Gbps, equivalent to 272,400Tb-m/s for both the IPv6 multi and single stream categories.

In doing so, the team surpassed the current IPv4 records, proving that IPv6 networks are able to provide the same, if not better, performance as IPv4.

"These records are final for the 10Gbps network era because they represent more than 98 per cent of the upper limit of network capacity," said Dr Kei Hiraki, professor at the University of Tokyo and LSR team leader.

"Through collaboration with a number of institutions, we have demonstrated the ability to overcome the distance and achieve this newest mark."