Imagine transferring data that would take 699 days over today’s Internet in just 1.6 hours. That’s the power of China Environment for Network Innovation (CENI), the Chinese mainland’s first national information and communications technology infrastructure.
In December 2025, CENI passed national acceptance in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province on the Chinese mainland and was officially commissioned to serve as a large-scale testbed for future network architectures.
Designed to be open, user-friendly and sustainable, CENI offers researchers and enterprises a cost-effective environment to test and verify new technologies. In a recent trial, what would have taken 699 days to transmit over the traditional Internet was completed in just 1.6 hours—a speed increase of over 10,000 times.
“CENI’s passage of national acceptance marks the Chinese mainland’s entry into the world’s advanced echelon in network technology innovation, test verification, and service application, enabling it to deliver higher-quality services for all industries to embrace AI,” says Liu Yunjie, academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
As demand for AI, virtual reality, the Internet of Things and remote collaboration soars, high-speed networks like CENI could redefine what’s possible in fields from climate modelling and telemedicine to immersive entertainment and global e-commerce.
For young entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts, CENI presents an unprecedented playground to develop and scale next-generation applications. Digital nomads and remote teams could soon tap into ultra-fast links for seamless global collaboration, while thought leaders explore sustainable networking solutions to reduce carbon footprints.
By leapfrogging traditional Internet speeds, CENI positions the Chinese mainland as a trailblazer in future networks, promising to accelerate innovation and shape the digital landscape in 2026 and beyond.
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China's new network lab shrinks data transfer from 699 days to 1.6 hrs
cgtn.com
