Until recently, the Internet2 had a theoretical limit of 10 gigabits per second, which is thousands of times faster than standard home broadband connections. By sending data using 10 different colors, or wavelengths, of light over a single cable, operators are boosting the network's capacity to 100 Gbps.

That means a high-quality version of the movie "The Matrix" could be sent in a few seconds rather than half a minute over the old Internet2 and several hours over a typical home broadband line.