Mars could get 'high speed internet' before large parts of the UK, NASA confirms – Daily Star

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Mars could have high-speed internet access before large parts of the UK, thanks to groundbreaking new NASA technology. While millions of people across the UK are still struggling with spotty internet service, NASA’s plans for a 'deep-space' internet network are progressing, and Mars is set to benefit first.
The new technology, called Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), is currently being tested aboard NASA's Psyche spacecraft, and the results have been promising so far. The system uses powerful lasers rather than traditional radio waves to transmit data, offering speeds up to 100 times faster than existing methods.
And, in a development that has excited space enthusiasts, DSOC has already demonstrated the ability to send high-definition videos and complex data from millions of kilometers away.
The technology has already proven capable of sending data from 460 million kilometers – more than the distance between Earth and Mars – at speeds that would embarrass most earthly broadband providers.
At a much closer distance, such as the 53 million kilometers between Earth and Mars, DSOC achieved speeds of 267 megabits per second – solidly in the realm of high-speed internet.
"I’m very pleased to let you know that our demonstration has actually worked extremely well," said Abhijit “Abi” Biswas, DSOC project technologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "We have been able to meet all our level one requirements, and indeed, it has also exceeded expectations."
While the technology is still in its experimental phase, the implications are vast. For Mars, it could mean an enormous leap forward in the way we communicate with rovers, orbiters, and even future human missions.
But back on Earth, this revolutionary communication breakthrough might come as a bit of a bitter pill for those still struggling with slow internet speeds. In the UK, large swaths of rural areas are still waiting for access to fast broadband, with connectivity issues plaguing many regions.
According to Ofcom’s 2023 Connected Nations report, 93% of the UK landmass had 4G coverage from at least one operator. 71% of the UK landmass had 4G coverage from all operators. 7% had no 4G coverage.
A Government spokesman said: “There have been limited improvements in geographic mobile coverage over the past few years. 4G coverage reached 91% of the UK landmass in 2019. The Shared Rural Network agreement (discussed below) aims to increase this to 95% by 2025.
“Coverage varies in different parts of the country, with urban areas having better coverage than rural areas. Countries and regions with high proportions of rural areas, such as Scotland, Wales and the North East, have the lowest 4G landmass coverage.”
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