Simultaneously writing data to two sets of channels in a tape media to increase channel transfer rate

A tape drive to read and write to a tape media, comprising:

• a tape head module having first and second sets of read/write elements configured to simultaneously read and write to a first data band and a second data band on the tape media, respectively, wherein the first and the second data bands have wraps identified by wrap numbers, wherein the first and the second sets of read/write elements are configured to simultaneously read or write to a same wrap number in the first and the second data bands, respectively;
• and
• a tape controller for controlling the tape head module to read and write to the tape media, wherein the tape controller performs operations, the operations comprising:
• positioning the tape head module to have the first set of read/write elements on a selected wrap number in a first n channels in the first data band in the tape media and the second set of read/write elements on the selected wrap number in a second n channels in the second data band in the tape media;
• and
• controlling the first set and the second set of read/write elements to simultaneously perform read/write operations with respect to the selected wrap number in the first n channels and the second n channels, respectively, wherein a combination of the first n channels and the second n channels is presented as a 2n-channel layout with a plurality of wraps in each of n channels.