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The Internet Communications Technology

Large Improvement in Graphene Photosensitivity Realized 71

Posted by Unknown Lamer from the we-demand-more-bits dept.
alphadogg sends in a writeup in NetworkWorld about promising new research with graphene. From the article: "Two Nobel Prize winning scientists out of the U.K. have come up with a new way to use graphene – the thinnest material in the world – that could make Internet pipes feel a lot fatter. University of Manchester professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov ... write in the journal Nature Communications of a method of combining the carbon-based material with metallic nanostructures to use as photodetectors that could greatly increase the amount of light optical communications devices could handle. This advance in graphene light harvesting and conversion into electrical power could lead to communications rates tens or even hundreds of times faster than today's, the researchers say."
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Large Improvement in Graphene Photosensitivity Realized More

Large Improvement in Graphene Photosensitivity Realized

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  • does this mean I can break out my 56k modem and have it feel like a cable modem?

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by tmosley ( 996283 )
      I'm pretty sure 56K modems aren't optical communications devices.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        What?!? Those blinking red lights on the front aren't trying to tell me something?

        Worst robot friend ever!

      • summery said "could make Internet pipes feel a lot fatter" said nothing about optical anything in that statement.

        • Yea? And internet pipes being faster has nothing (well, directly) to do with your local bandwidth. This is backbone shit.

        • Um, I know this is slashdot, but did you even bother to read the whole summary*? It specifically said "... a method of combining the carbon-based material with metallic nanostructures to use as photodetectors that could greatly increase the amount of light optical communications devices could handle" (emphasis mine). Sure that particular sentence didn't mention it, but taking it on its own seems a bit "quote-miney" to me. Then there's the title of course, which seems pretty clear to me.

          *It's summary, not su

    • That depends on how you rub on it.

  • This sounds promising for backhauls. I don't see it improving last-mile thoroughput, however, since practically nobody has optical fiber going to their house.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by eggled ( 1135799 )

      This sounds promising for backhauls. I don't see it improving last-mile thoroughput, however, since practically nobody has optical fiber going to their house.

      Nope, way more common to have that pesky slow audio fiber.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by m50d ( 797211 )
        Um, what? Optical fiber is the correct term for it. Wouldn't want to confuse it with piece-of-string internet.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Alarash ( 746254 )
      That's great because it just so happens that the bandwidth limitations usually are in the Core and Backhaul networks (well that and decade-old DSLAMs I suppose). Last-mile throughput problem could be easily solved today by getting everybody on the FTTH wagon - so the problem really is money, not technology.

  • "Could" does not mean "will" (Score:3)

    by FridayBob ( 619244 ) on Wednesday August 31, 2011 @10:00AM (#37264680)
    Fiber optic technology that can deliver 100Mbps and even gigabit speeds over wide area distances has been around for years, so the reason it hasn't reached your doorstep yet isn't because it hasn't been invented yet. What's been standing in the way of progress all this time are the large telecom corporations that exploit all those local loops out there, those last miles of ancient copper that they're always promising to replace with something better, but always find a reason not to. No, as far as they're concerned it's always better to squeeze the last dime possible out of your investment if you can, especially when there's no real competition (something most of us can also thank our local governments for).
    • Well when Verizon came through and put in FTTH in my neighborhood, they pulled the copper. "Why?", you ask. Because the regulations on fiber are not the same as on copper. They then had us locked in. So we bitched a fit and they had to put some of it back (or at least so I hear, as I moved before the whole project was completed). Oh and one other note: I manufacture PLCs (planar lightwave circuits) that handle 100 Gbps (10 channels by 10Gbps) and have for years now - just to back your claim.

    • Fiber optic technology that can deliver 100Mbps and even gigabit speeds over wide area distances has been around for years, so the reason it hasn't reached your doorstep yet isn't because it hasn't been invented yet. What's been standing in the way of progress all this time are the large telecom corporations that exploit all those local loops out there, those last miles of ancient copper that they're always promising to replace with something better, but always find a reason not to. No, as far as they're concerned it's always better to squeeze the last dime possible out of your investment if you can, especially when there's no real competition (something most of us can also thank our local governments for).

      If you need a bit of leverage, take my local government. I thank them profusely for what they've done for us (well, the Public Utility District). I also thank California, for allowing us to rape their pocketbooks some 10 years ago for selling them cheap power at ridiculously expensive prices.

      But seriously, the fiber to the home is very possible, very doable. If anyone in the decision-making process/government is trying to tell you it can't be done, just point them to Grant County PUD. My actual bandwidth,

    • those last miles of ancient copper that they're always promising to replace with something better, but always find a reason not to.

      The reason is called MONEY.

  • Internet pipes fatter? (Score:3)

    by rossdee ( 243626 ) on Wednesday August 31, 2011 @10:08AM (#37264756)

    Since graphene is so strong you could build a pipe 20 metres across. Not only would it be able to carry data, but also semi trucks. You could order stuff from Amazon with instant shipping, and get physical purchases as fast as digital downloads.

  • Despite living in a major UK city I still have between 0.5 and 1mbps going down copper wires from an exchange the next town over. But yeah keep talking about newer, better broadband.

    • Yea, because it's totally the fault of the technology and research, and not the greedy bastards who won't just fucking implement it.

      • I did not mean to place blame, I meant to point out what you just pointed out. From my perspective, news stories like this are a slap in the face, to remind me that the technology exists, but nobody rolls out some decent hardware.

  • already much faster than that. I mean yea its not been consumerized but neither has this.

  • Can't wait to greeze them pipes.

  • This advance in graphene light harvesting and conversion into electrical power

    Can this be used to improve solar panel efficiency?

  • They started using Thin Mint instead of Samoas.

  • Is there not more of a issue with routers not keeping up with the raw bandwidth of fiber then the fiber connections right now?

  • FWIW, ten years ago I lived in a house built in the 50s... The sleepy little housing development it sat in was STILL being served by the original PAPER INSULATED CABLES installed when the place was new...

    After a good rainstorm you could pick up the phone, hit any number to kill the dial tone, and listen to a half dozen conversations leaking across the wet paper...

    The telephone and cable companies will drag their feet for as long as consumers let them...

    MY Internet connection is on a point-point ra

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