The concept you're referring to is often called the "horizon problem" or the "flatness problem" in cosmology. It raises the question of how regions of the universe that are currently observable were once in close proximity if the speed of light is considered the maximum speed at which information can travel.
The answer lies in the process of cosmic inflation, a theory proposed to explain the uniformity and flatness observed in the large-scale structure of the universe. According to this theory, during the very early moments of the universe (less than a fraction of a second after the Big Bang), the universe underwent an extremely rapid expansion. This expansion was much faster than the speed of light, causing distant regions to become exponentially separated.
During inflation, small quantum fluctuations in the fabric of space were stretched to cosmic scales, providing the seeds for the formation of galaxies and large-scale structures. These fluctuations eventually led to the non-uniform distribution of matter we observe in the universe today.
However, it's important to note that while inflationary expansion allows distant regions to be much farther apart than they could have reached at the speed of light, it doesn't violate the principle that nothing can travel faster than light within space itself. The expansion of the universe itself is not limited by this constraint.
After inflation ended, the universe continued to expand, but at a slower rate. As the universe expanded, light from the early stages of the universe, including the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB), propagated through space. The CMB is the oldest light we can detect and is considered a remnant of the Big Bang. It was emitted when the universe was around 380,000 years old.
Over the course of approximately 13.8 billion years, this light has traveled through space and reached us, providing valuable insights into the early stages of the universe. So, while the universe did undergo rapid expansion during inflation, it's important to understand that this expansion occurred during the very early moments of the universe and is distinct from the idea of objects or information moving faster than light within space itself.