China activates 1,243-mile distributed AI supercomputer network

China has activated what may be the world’s largest distributed AI supercomputer network, spanning over 1,243 miles and linking data centers nationwide via a high-speed optical backbone. This network, part of the Future Network Test Facility (FNTF), enables geographically dispersed computing resources to operate almost as a single, highly efficient machine, achieving 98% of the performance of a centralized data center. The system significantly accelerates AI model training and other compute-intensive tasks by reducing iteration times from over 36 seconds to about 16 seconds, thereby cutting both training time and costs. The network also supports China’s “East Data West Computing” initiative, which relocates data processing to energy-rich western regions. Developed over more than a decade since 2013, the FNTF infrastructure now covers 40 cities with over 34,175 miles of optical transmission lines, supporting thousands of parallel service trials and heterogeneous networks. It incorporates 206 international and domestic standards and 221 invention patents, and features