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In the not-too-distant future broadband speeds will be measured in gigabits per second rather than megabits per second, the former being 1,000 times faster than the latter. Such blazing fast data transmission will vastly improve the quality of streaming high-definition video, playing online video games, participating in video conferences and using voice over IP, all of which struggle with latency at today's average data transfer rates, which range from less than one megabit per second (Mbps) to 10 Mbps (pdf) . The sticking point over gigabit-per-second broadband: who will pay for it?

Whether it's for streaming Netflix or sharing files, we're gobbling up more and more data--and we want it faster. But even shooting data with lasers over fiber-optic cables has its limits.

Intel tech is powering the Thunderbolt computer connector that may revolutionize how we hook up gear--but Intel is already working on its successor , due in 2015. It's five times faster still, and uses lasers. The Thunderbolt system is a development of Light Peak--a system of serial data transmission that Intel has been working on for quite some while.

Fujitsu today announced the achievement of a 40 gigabits per second (40-Gbps) optical-fiber transmission employing an uncooled directly-modulated laser. This was realized through the combination of a structure specifically adapted to high-speed operation, and a newly-developed structure capable of lowering operating current and enabling high-temperature operation. Featuring power consumption at less than half that of commercialized 40-Gbps optical transmitters, Fujitsu's new directly-modulated laser obviates the need for a thermoelectric controller