InventorSpot’s Steve Levenstein has the lowdown on the new KIZUNA satellite that was launched recently by Japan, which promises to introduce a new era of super-high speed data communications across Asia

Let’s put things in perspective here: 1.2 Gbps is 150 times faster than the average high-speed ADSL connection rate (around 8 Mbps). It’s also 12 times faster than FTTP, or fibre-optic communication delivery. What this means is that students, researchers or company employees in different Asian cities will be able to communicate with each other without experiencing any time lag. Now THAT, is awesome… and so is the launch of KIZUNA, viewable here but previously watched live by millions in Japan over the Internet. Naturally.

The launch of KIZUNA no doubt will make it even harder for the U.S. to catch up to Japan in terms of consumer high-speed Internet access.