Wi-Fi? More like Wow-Fi

• Researchers set new wireless data record over 4.6km with infrared
• Data beams allow many parallel high-speed connections without interference
• Researchers believe this can bridge future 5G and 6G network connectivity gaps

Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have transmitted data between the TU/e campus and the High Tech Campus over a 4.6km distance using infrared light.

This feat happened at the astonishing rate of 5.7 terabits per second, the equivalent of streaming 1.9 million Netflix shows in HD simultaneously, making it the fastest wireless data transmission ever demonstrated over this big a distance in an urban setting.

The record-breaking connection was established using advanced optical antennas from Aircision, a spin-off of TNO based at the High Tech Campus. These antennas transmit data through invisible infrared beams instead of cables or radio signals. This technique, known as free-space optical (FSO) communication, enables ultra-fast, interference-free data transmission.

Paving the way for its future applications

“We need new ways to meet the increasing demand for fast and reliable connectivity,” said Vincent van Vliet, a TU/e PhD researcher involved in the project. “Infrared wireless communication combines the high data speeds known from optical fibers with the flexibility of wireless communication systems.”

The team used the Reid Photonloop testbed to achieve the breakthrough. This permanent set-up allows experiments with high-speed wireless communication and uses cutting-edge technology to combine multiple wavelengths in a single transmission.

“Because the transmitted infrared light is highly focused, an almost unlimited number of communication links can exist side-by-side without interference, allowing wireless network capacity growth at an unprecedented scale,” Van Vliet explained.

The Reid Photonloop testbed, named after the late John Reid, a driving force behind the project who passed away before its realization, stretches between the Flux building at TU/e and Building 37 at the High Tech Campus, a distance of 4.6km across Eindhoven.

“This facility will allow us to refine high-speed wireless communication and optimize its reliability and availability in all weather conditions,” said Chigo Okonkwo, Associate Professor and head of TU/e’s High-Capacity Optical Transmission Lab.

Aircision sees future applications for this technology in connecting 5G and 6G antennas where laying fiber is impractical.

“We are redefining how data is transmitted over the air. This record-breaking achievement proves that our technology is ready to make high-speed internet accessible to millions of people faster than ever before,” said Luis Oliveira, co-founder of Aircision.

The findings were presented at the Optical Fiber Communications (OFC) Conference 2025 in San Francisco.

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Wayne Williams is a freelancer writing news for TechRadar Pro. He has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for 30 years. In that time he wrote for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a number of them too.