Scientist achieve 'world's fastest wireless'

A new world record for wireless data transmission has been set in Pisa, Italy, the scientists behind the technology claim.

During an uninterrupted 12-hour experiment, throughput speeds exceeding 1.2 Terabits per second were achieved, beating the previous record of 160 Gigabits per second, according to the team.

The group is made up of researchers from the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Waseda University in Tokyo and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology in Tokyo.

Unlike other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, which uses radio-based communication, the system used by the Pisa team is more similar to fibre optics, utilising free-space optical transmissions - effectively sending data using light.

However, while this technology is capable of sending massive amounts of information, it has some deficiencies compared to radio-based communications.

It can be badly affected by fog and atmospheric turbulence and is incapable of bending round objects, meaning any communication cannot have obstacles in the way.