As part of its efforts to scale up physical infrastructure in anticipation of rising customer demand for VPN access, Surfshark just launched its first 100Gbps servers in Amsterdam.
The new server offers 10 times the capacity of the industry-standard VPN hardware, which are 10Gbps servers. In Surfshark’s blog post about the news, the company explained this update is part of “preparing for the future and making sure that heavy internet activity by others won’t slow down your internet connection.”
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The implementation of 100Gbps servers theoretically means that if you use Surfshark, you’ll have smoother service with fewer interruptions, even when plenty of people are connected to the server. However, there is currently only a single 100Gbps server location, and that’s in the Netherlands. Surfshark is now “testing this innovation with a few servers, laying the foundation for potential future rollouts.”
That means you’re not going to be able to match those speeds connecting from anywhere else in the world, where the industry-standard 10Gbps servers are still king. Server capacity and distance aren’t the only variables in the speed equation either, as traffic encryption processes also introduce some level of latency.
This technological leap is still impressive, even if it doesn’t change your internet speed today. It helps set a new standard for VPN servers that will spur technological advancement in the long run.
A Surfshark representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What makes this important to you?
A single 100Gbps server in the Netherlands likely won’t affect your own internet speed while using a VPN. In fact, it’s an improvement that only extends to a small number of users at a time when more people than ever before are choosing to use VPNs.
But the implementation of Surfshark’s 100Gbps server is the first step toward a new industry standard, and when that standard is widely adopted, it’ll benefit all VPN users.
CNET experts often evaluate VPN services by how proactive companies are. The best VPNs constantly get new and improved capabilities, while others play catch-up. Surfshark’s new hardware is a positive step toward increased speed and withstanding stress from more VPN users that could ripple across the industry in due time.