Experimental networking tech beams data across the room with light
Researchers at Oxford University have developed a technology that, according to IEEE Spectrum, "takes light from [fiber optic data lines], amplifies it, and beams it across a room." The resulting system can transmit data at up to 100 gigabits per second (Gbps).
At 100Gbps, this technology transmits data at a rate that far exceeds current commercially available wireless networking technology. By comparison, 802.11ac, the current state-of-the-art for Wi-Fi, has a maximum data rate of about 7 to 10Gbps. And Oxford's researchers say this is only the start--the research team says it may be capable of data rates exceeding 3 terabits per second.
That's a lot of data.
There are some obvious limitations to this sort of technology. Since it uses light to transmit data, you need a clear line of sight between the transceivers, so beaming data through walls would be out of the question. According to IEEE Spectrum, the research team is working "to develop a tracking and location system so that a user could place a laptop at a random spot on a table and have the system find it and create a link."
You likely won't see a 100Gbps connection in your home any time soon, especially considering that cable Internet connections top out in the 150-megabit range today. Still, with our insatiable appetite for bandwidth, it isn't unreasonable to think that we might someday see something like Oxford's networking technology in our homes.