Chinese researchers have broken the record speed in satellite internet technology at speeds of up to 1 Gbps, five times faster than SpaceX’s Starlink. They did this through the use of a low-power 2-watt laser beam sent from a geostationary satellite 36,000 kilometers above the planet, well beyond the operating distance of Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites.
Overcoming Atmospheric Challenges
Even though satellite communications using lasers allow data transmission at high speeds, atmospheric turbulence has been a key stumbling block. Such an effect scatters and distorts laser light, reducing its intensity and degrading the signal by the time it reaches ground receivers. In an effort to offset this, a group of Chinese scientists came up with a new solution.
Rolling Out the AO-MDR Synergy Technique
Led by Peking University Professor Wu Jian and Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Liu Chao, the research team proposed a novel method called AO-MDR synergy. The composite technique is highly resistant to signal degradation caused by atmospheric interference and gives steady and high-quality communication.
In a peer-reviewed journal article released June 3 in Acta Optica Sinica, the researchers explained, “This method effectively avoids deterioration of communication quality due to power of ultra-weak signals.”
Testing and Implementation
The scientists tested the system at an observatory in Lijiang, south-west China, with a 1.8-meter telescope, viewing a satellite that orbited 36,705 kilometers away. 357 micro-mirrors were employed within the telescope to correct crooked laser beams, reducing the distortion introduced by the atmosphere by far. As an additional method of increasing the signal, a multi-plane light converter (MPLC) was also employed to divide incoming light into eight base-mode channels while passing through a multi-mode optical fiber. Proprietary “path-picking” algorithms, fueled by specialized processing chips, detected and merged the three strongest signals in real time.
Enhanced Performance and Endurance
The result yielded much stronger signals than when using traditional adaptive optics (AO) methods. The AO-MDR hybrid method not only improved performance but also minimized errors, increasing the chances of successful delivery of the signal from 72% to 91.1%. The technology is particularly critical in high-precision data transmission, and it is a significant advancement in satellite internet technology.