China creates ‘high-speed rail’ network for computers

China has just made a big step forward in data transmission technology when it completed a super-fast computer network called the China Network Innovation Environment (CENI), Interesting Engineering reported on January 6. This high-tech network is expected to help promote the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and completely change the way Chinese data services operate.

Experts compare the Internet service provided by CENI to “high-speed rail for computers”. This emphasizes the fast, efficient and reliable data transmission capabilities of the new network. It is also touted as having reasonable cost, high efficiency and low energy consumption.

CENI connects major cities of 13 provinces, using a new architectural approach that combines the fast speed of optical communication with the stability of a decision network. Thanks to that, the new network has no data packet loss, extremely low latency and stability, regardless of traffic volume.

“CENI has no packet loss, has latency ranging below 20 microseconds, even under full network load, spans 13 provinces, 13,000 km, and can handle 10,000 decision network services,” Liu Yunjie, said the head scientist of the Purple Mountain Laboratory, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

According to Tao Gaofeng, deputy general manager of Jiangsu Future Network group, CENI has the potential to significantly improve data transmission accuracy and distance. Gaofeng emphasized that CENI can transmit data over 2,000 km without data loss or the need for an intermediate signal amplifier. “The network ensures accurate and on-time transmission, even in situations of network congestion or cyber attack,” he said.

CENI’s main fiber optic cable is currently up to 34,000 km long. However, this is just the beginning as the network is expected to be expanded by another 10,000 km. An impressive test demonstrated the network’s capabilities by helping remotely control an autonomous vehicle in a factory 500 km away. This process is performed with incredible precision, with a latency of less than 20 microseconds and a position deviation of just a few centimeters.

CENI plays an important role in promoting key technologies and supporting national development strategies in China. The network will facilitate the rapid transmission of large data sets to train AI models. It will also enable efficient data transmission from the eastern region to western data centers using renewable energy.

With CENI, China plans to build large data centers in the west. The reason is that the west has abundant renewable energy resources. These data centers will be responsible for storing and processing the huge amount of data generated in the more populated eastern region.