New device could herald '100 times faster' broadband

A new machine developed by a team of scientists at Bangor University in Wales could make broadband speeds 100 times faster than present levels at a quarter of their current price, according to reports.

Dr Jianming Tang led a team from the university's School of Electronic Engineering in developing the new device, which uses existing fibre optic technology to channel data more efficiently.

In theory, the machine - which would be about the same size as a DVD player - would increase broadband speeds to the extent that users would be able to download 15 full-length movies in a minute.

Dr Tang said he hoped the new device would "revolutionise" broadband entertainment, as well as allowing applications such as tele-medicine to flourish.

Higher speeds would also mean greater network efficiency, Dr Tang commented, which could cut costs for users "by up to 75 per cent".

The development project was funded with a £760,000 grant from the European Union's (EU) Alpha project.

According to statistics from the EU, 57 per cent of online households in Britain currently use broadband.