Tsinghua University, China Mobile, Huawei, and the China Education and Scientific Research Network (CERNET), have successfully launched a cutting-edge 1.2-terabit optical backbone spanning 3,000 kilometers and connecting Beijing, Wuhan, and Guangzhou. 

This achievement is part of China’s ambitious ten-year Future Internet Technology Infrastructure (FITI) project, which aims to revolutionize the country’s Internet network. Operational since 2021, the IPv6 FITI network, initiated in 2013 under the Education Ministry, currently links 40 universities across 35 cities. 

Deploying the terabit technology in July 2023, Tsinghua, along with its partners, has conducted rigorous testing, confirming the backbone’s smooth and reliable operation at 1.2 Tbps. Wu Jianping, FITI project leader, highlighted the backbone’s utilization of a next-generation IPv6 core router, boasting features like 3×400G multi-optical path aggregation, all achieved with domestically produced and independently controllable software and hardware. 

“All software and hardware equipment are domestically produced and independently controllable,” he said.

Tsinghua anticipates FITI’s readiness by year-end, emphasizing both the indigenous technology and the claim that the 1.2-Tbps backbone stands as the world’s fastest, although comparisons vary depending on the benchmark used.