Fiber optic transmissions across 26 miles (42 kilometers) in Stockholm have hit record speeds of 112 gigabytes per second. The tests were part of a European project called "Hecto" that is developing inexpensive transmitters and receivers that deliver high data transfer rates. "We can increase the speed of fiber optic networks tenfold compared to conventional solutions in use today, and this can be done in a technically straightforward and cost-effective manner," says associate professor Urban Westergren, ICT coordinator for Hecto at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH). Partially funded by the EU, Hecto has been operating since 2006 and they hope to see the first commercial products on the market within a few years. Components in the system include a light modulator integrated with a laser developed by KTH in cooperation with Syntune, a Kista firm, and with support from the Technical University of Denmark. Other participants in the Hecto project include U2T Photonics, Berlin, The Franunhofer IAF German Research Institute, and the Greek University of Peloponnese. The initial field trials were conducted between Kista and Råsunda by Acreo. When finished, the project's industrial partners intend to commercialize Hecto's transmitters and receivers for use in instruments and fiber optic communication systems.