When it comes to Internet speeds, we in India are a deprived lot. So if news of a Sony-backed ISP (internet service provider), called So-net Entertainment, launching the “world’s fastest” home Internet connection makes you want to emigrate to Japan, we totally get that.
So just how fast is this new Internet highway from So-net? Well, the Nuro Light network — which is what the new uber fast optical fiber Internet service is officially called — offers lucky Japanese netizens connections that allow 2Gbps of download speed and 1Gbps of upload speed, according to a report.
The Sony-backed Nuro 2Gbps Internet service is rolling out to home users and small businesses in Japan’s capital city, Tokyo, and its surrounding areas. Due to existing network adapter bottlenecks in most devices, including routers, it is unlikely that individual users of this Internet service will actually experience 2Gbps data speeds.
Just to put things in perspective, the Google Fiber service, an ultra-fast Internet connection which is all the rage in the US right now, offers “only” 1Gbps download speeds to homes in Kansas City where the service is up and running. That’s half of what Nuro promises to deliver to Japanese home Internet users, and at a much cheaper rate, too.
A Nuro business slide shows its connection model
Nuro’s 2Gbps Internet connection is currently being offered at a price of 4,980 Yen per month for a two-year contract, which is about US $51 per month or about Rs. 2,700 per month. Not bad, eh? Compared to this, Google Fiber’s 1Gbps connection is more expensive at US $70 per month or about Rs. 3,800 per month.
The Sony-backed Nuro 2Gbps Internet service also comes with a one-time installation charge of 52,500 Yen (about US $531), but that charge is being waived off for customers who sign-up online, Computerworld reports.
In late 2011, we had reported that scientists from Caltech and the University of Victoria had achieved a sustained data transfer rate between computers of 186Gbps across a standard, commercially available fibre optic line.
Any guesses how long before we experience such mind-boggling Internet speeds from our local ISPs? Drop us a comment below.