[Edaily Kim Hyun-ah Reporter] The time required to transfer 100 TB of research data from South Korea to the United States has theoretically been reduced from 2 hours and 13 minutes to 33 minutes. This significantly shortens data transfer times in research fields that handle large-scale data, such as AI, astronomy and space science, and supercomputing.

KTCorporation(030200)KISTI (Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information) announced on the 16th that it has quadrupled the capacity of the international line of the National Science and Technology Research Network connecting South Korea and the United States, from the previous 100 Gbps to 400 Gbps.

This line connects KISTI’s Daejeon headquarters to Chicago, where research networks in North America and Europe are concentrated. It is South Korea’s first dedicated 400 Gbps international line between South Korea and the United States.

Why Is 100 TB of Data Important?

In AI and big science research

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tens of terabytes (TB) to petabytes (PB) of data can be exchanged at once. This is because AI training data, astronomical observation data, and supercomputer simulation results must be repeatedly exchanged between domestic and international research institutions and computing resources.

In this context, the network is just as important as computational power. No matter how fast a supercomputer is, research cannot begin if the data does not arrive. The time it takes to transmit large volumes of data can directly affect research schedules and efficiency.

This new 400G line serves to reduce such data bottlenecks.

100G → 400G… 1TB Transfer Time: 80 Seconds → 20 Seconds

The bandwidth between South Korea and the U.S. has quadrupled from the previous 100 Gbps to 400 Gbps.

Based on theoretical maximum transmission speeds, 100 Gbps can transfer approximately 12.5 GB of data per second, while 400 Gbps can transfer approximately 50 GB per second.

Transferring 100 TB of data takes approximately 2 hours and 13 minutes at 100 Gbps, but this is reduced to about 33 minutes at 400 Gbps. The time required to transfer 1 TB of data is also shortened from about 80 seconds to 20 seconds.

Actual transfer times may vary depending on factors such as data compression, equipment performance, and network congestion. Therefore, this does not mean that 400G will exactly reduce actual transfer times to one-fourth in all environments. However, it does mean that with line capacity quadrupled, the capacity to handle large-scale research data has increased accordingly.

KREONET: Researchers’ “Data Highway”

The Korea Research and Education Network (KREONET) is a national R&D network built to enable universities, government-funded research institutes, and public agencies to exchange large volumes of research data. It is operated by KISTI.

Unlike the general Internet, its primary role is to connect research institutions’ supercomputers, data centers, and research equipment and to reliably transmit large-scale research data.

It is used to share AI training data, astronomical observation data, climate and earth science data, and supercomputer simulation results with research institutions both domestically and internationally.

This connection utilizes the NCP submarine cable, which directly links South Korea and the United States. NCP stands for the New Cross Pacific Cable System. KTCorporation explained that by connecting the international network without passing through multiple segments, it has reduced transmission latency and the risks associated with routing.

The network also features redundancy to prepare for international network failures. KTCorporation operates separate land-to-sea stations in Busan and Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, where subsea cables meet terrestrial communication networks. If a problem occurs on one section, international traffic can be rerouted via the other path.

Expanding the Foundation for International AI Collaboration

This 400G expansion goes beyond simply transmitting research data faster; it also broadens the foundation for global research collaboration among domestic research institutions.

AI model training, supercomputer calculations, astronomical observations, and climate and earth science simulations all require connecting research institutions across multiple countries through shared data and computing resources. Faster international research networks will help domestic researchers reduce network bottlenecks that occur when exchanging large volumes of data with overseas research institutions, such as those in the United States.

KTCorporation plans to continue expanding submarine cable capacity and diversifying landing stations to accommodate the proliferation of AI and the increasing volume of global data exchange.

Jeon Myung-jun, Executive Vice President and Head of KTCorporation’s Enterprise Services Division, stated, “The establishment of South Korea’s first Korea-U.S. 400G National Science and Technology Research Network is an important milestone that takes the competitiveness of our domestic R&D infrastructure to the next level,” adding, “We will continue to support the strengthening of the national research network’s global competitiveness and digital innovation in collaboration with KISTI.”