A groundbreaking hollow optical fiber technology, developed by a team of researchers at the University of Southampton in the UK, promises to drastically boost the data transmission capacity and distance of individual optical fibers. This innovation, published in Nature Photonics on September 1, harnesses specific microstructures to confine light within a hollow core for transmission. This approach minimizes the impact of materials on performance, leading to benefits such as reduced latency and enhanced bandwidth, thereby facilitating the development of more efficient and high-speed telecommunications networks.