Swedish granny gets 40Gbps broadband line

The ultimate silver surfer has never owned a computer

Written by Iain Thomson

A Swedish grandmother has become the fastest surfer on the web with a 40Gbps broadband connection delivered straight to her home.

Sigbritt Löthberg, 75, had never owned a computer until recently, despite being the mother of Swedish internet guru Peter Löthberg.

Her son set up the line with the local council's Karlstad Stadsnät network infrastructure arm.

"This is more than just a demonstration," Karlstad Stadsnät chief Hafsteinn Jonsson told Swedish newspaper The Local

"As a network owner we are trying to persuade internet operators to invest in faster connections. And Peter Löthberg wanted to show how you can build a low price, high capacity line over long distances."

Jonsson explained that the most difficult part of the operation was installing Windows on Sigbritt Löthberg's new PC.

The new line will enable Sigbritt to watch 1,500 high definition television channels simultaneously or download a high-definition DVD in two seconds flat.

The connection was made possible using a modulation technique that allows signals to be sent 2,000 kilometres without transponders over fibre.

"I wanted to show that there are other methods than the old fashioned ways such as copper wires and radio, which lack the possibilities of fibre," said Peter Löthberg, who now works at Cisco Systems.

Tags:

Further reading

MidPoint delivers fast Internet access

  More...

Tokyo boffins crack internet speed record

30,000km at 7.67Gbps   More...

Siemens claims net speed record

Data rates of 107Gbps reached over a 100-mile run   More...

Oracle smashes transaction speed record

Four million transactions per minute sets new world record, Oracle claims   More...

Related articles

Cisco sets up 40Gbps broadband for DreamHack

World's largest gaming event gets world's fastest router   More...

ASA clears Virgin Media over ADSL 'lies'

Complaints not upheld by advertising watchdog   More...

IBM plans laptop-sized supercomputer

Breakthrough using light removes the need for wires   More...

BT promises fibre to 10 million UK homes

Telco investing heavily in optical cable   More...

Do you agree?

Advertisement

Job of the week

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Hiring now on ComputingCareers:

Related IT jobs

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Advertisement

Watch

25 Jul 2008

7.85 MBPodcast Special: Views from the Valley More...

24 Jul 2008

3.68 MBSpammer jailed, Esquire e-cover, and network passwords More...

23 Jul 2008

2.99 MBSmall time security, official 'spying' requests and a spammer jail break More...

Poll

EUROPEAN E-COMMERCE

EUROPEAN E-COMMERCE

Are you happy making an online purchase from another European country?

Previous poll results

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Enter email address to edit your newsletter preferences

Spotlight

Credit card transaction

Credit card fraud rampant in the UK

Attempted frauds go unreported and ignored, analysts claim   More...

Intel

Intel rolls out new embedded line-up

System-on-a-chip offerings promise footprint and power saving   More...

Advertisement

Network cables

Tech giants collaborate on wireless HD

Another attempt at cable-free transmission in the home   More...

iPhone fever fills AT&T coffers

US provider cashes in on Apple smartphone   More...

Advertisement