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I submit as counter evidence the masts that high frequency traders want to build in Kent, UK. I believe the point is that they can replace some of the fibre in
by abainbridge 9y ago
I submit as counter evidence the masts that high frequency traders want to build in Kent, UK. I believe the point is that they can replace some of the fibre in the link between London and Frankfurt with radio, which has a higher speed of light.
http://uk.businessinsider.com/plans-for-high-frequency-trading-tower-near-dover-rejected-2017-1 http://uk.businessinsider.com/plans-for-high-frequency-tradi...
I also reckon that a modern router can forward a packet in a microsecond. Once you don't involve software in the data plane, routing a packet should only take a few clock cycles.
- d33 9y ago> which has a higher speed of light What? How'd that be possible?
- antirez 9y agoLight can travel in air much faster it can travel in glass.
- yusyusyus 9y agoSimilarly, copper is faster than glass too (but not faster than air). The trade folks refer to copper in terms of "velocity factor". Example, some arbitrary RG-6 I'm looking at has a velocity factor of 81%. Equivalent refractive index is 1/.81 for ~ 1.23.
- fridek 9y agoRefraction index of light in fiber is ~1.44. Rule of thumb for packets in transit is 200km/ms.
- kentiko 9y agoRadio takes less time because it takes a direct, straight path from point to point. An optic fiber will always have a longer path.
- woliveirajr 9y agoAnd that's correct... inside the optic fiber, the light doesn't go straight in the core of the fiber. It bounces and is reflected, making the path longer.
- amazon_not 9y agoOnly in multimode fiber. Not so in single mode fiber. All subsea cables use singlemode fiber.
- Hikikomori 9y agoRadio waves in the atmosphere also travel faster than light in a fibre.