Researchers at the University of Surreys 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) have managed to achieve record-breaking data connection speeds during tests of the next generation of mobile technology.

Tests at the Centre were able to achieve one terabit per second download speeds, around 65,000 times faster than the average 4G connection, and far in excess of the previous best achieved in tests.

Previously, Samsung were able to transmit data at 7.5 gigabits per second, less than 1 per cent of the speeds the Surrey team managed. At 1Tbps, users could download files 100 times larger than an average feature film in around three seconds.

5G is still a considerable way from public deployment: Ofcom has said it may be available by 2020, and the head of the 5GIC has said the technology should be ready to demonstrate to the public by 2018.

According to news site V3, the 1Tbps speed is unlikely to be achievable outside of laboratories, but public 5G could reach speeds of around 50Gbps. The main drivers for 5G are actually latency and reliability, as it will have to serve as the standard for at least 20 years.

“An important aspect of 5G is how it will support applications in the future,” said Professor Rahim Tafazolli, director of the 5GIC. “We dont know what applications will be in use by 2020, or 2030 or 2040 for that matter, but we know they will be highly sensitive to latency.

“We need to bring end-to-end latency down to below one millisecond so that it can enable new technologies and applications that would just not be possible with 4G.”

When it does arrive, 5G is likely to spark another revolution in Internet of Things technology, enabling data to be transmitted wirelessly at speeds currently only possible using fibre-optic technology.