Can the Library of Congress Be Downloaded in Seconds?

San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco Systems announced Tuesday, March 9, the launch of Cisco CRS-3 Carrier Routing System (CRS), which the company claims is capable of data transfer rates up to 322 Terabits per second. In a company news release, Cisco said the speed would theoretically allow the entire Library of Congress to be downloaded in one second.

Such a feat isn't exactly possible today, as routing systems are only part of the global Internet infrastructure, which would have to be technologically updated as a whole. But Cisco is launching the product as a foundation for the next generation of Internet and Web services, which most observers agree will cater to data-intensive applications like video and cloud services.

The "3" in CRS-3, according to Cisco, represents scale, service and savings -- each of which the CRS-3 system is purported to enhance. Along with the announcement, the company posted a video highlighting the new routing system's capabilities.