Alphabet's Taara chip uses light beams to provide high-speed internet

Alphabet has announced a new development for Taara's technology that could lead to low-cost, high-speed internet connectivity, even in far-flung locations. Taara's general manager, Mahesh Krishnaswamy, has introduced the Taara chip, a silicon photonic chip that uses light to transmit high-speed data through the air. The Taara chip is abut the size of a fingernail, far smaller than the technology the Alphabet division has been using. Taara Lightbridge, which is what its first-generation technology is called, is the size of a traffic light and uses a system of mirrors and sensors to physically steer light to where it needs to go. The new chip uses software instead. 

Taara is a project under X, Alphabet's moonshot factory. The high speed wireless optical link technology underpinning the project was originally developed for X's Project Loon internet broadcasting balloons. Alphabet pulled the plug on Loon in 2021 and focused on Taara instead, using its technology to beam broadband across the Congo River and the streets of Nairobi. Even years before Loon shut down, Alphabet's X was already toying with the idea of using light to beam internet and tested the technology in India

Taara's technology works by using a "very narrow, invisible light beam to transmit data at speeds as high as 20 gigabits per second, up to distances of 20 kilometers (12.1 miles)." It's like traditional fiber, in the sense that it uses light to carry data, except that light doesn't travel through cables. Instead, Taara's hardware emits beams of light. The beams from two units must be aligned with each other to be able to form a secure link that can transmit data, which is why Lightbridge was fitted with the parts needed to be able to physically steer the light. Taara's new chip doesn't need those components: It contains hundreds of tiny light emitters controlled by software with automatic steering

Krishnaswamy said Taara's light-beaming units will only take days to install instead of the months or years it can take to lay fiber. During tests in the lab, the Taara team was able to transmit data at speeds of 10 Gbps over a distance of one kilometer (0.62 miles) using two of the new chips. They're now looking to improve the chip's capacity and range by creating an "iteration with thousands of [light] emitters." The team expects the chip to be available in 2026. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/alphabets-taara-chip-uses-light-beams-to-provide-high-speed-internet-140040922.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/alphabets-taara-chip-uses-light-beams-to-provide-high-speed-internet-140040922.html?src=rss
Établi 2mo | 2 mars 2025, 18:10:22


Connectez-vous pour ajouter un commentaire

Autres messages de ce groupe

YouTube will blur the thumbnails of 'mature' videos as part of a new test

YouTube is testing a new feature that will blur the thumbnails of videos that appear in search results that "frequently include sexual themes," the platform announced in

30 avr. 2025, 21:10:16 | Engadget
Canon Powershot V1 review: A powerful compact camera capable of capturing incredible video

After nearly disappearing as a category, compact cameras are making a comeback.

30 avr. 2025, 18:50:04 | Engadget
Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI for content creation

Duolingo is now going to be "AI-first," the company has announced — aka it will drop employees in favor of using AI. In a

30 avr. 2025, 16:30:39 | Engadget
Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld will premier on Fortnite beginning May 2

There’s a new animated Star Wars show coming soon and it’s set to actually premiere in the game Fortnite. Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld will be available to watch in-game sta

30 avr. 2025, 16:30:37 | Engadget
Spotify lets EA Sports FC players stream music during gameplay

Spotify is getting into gameplay — kind of — through a

30 avr. 2025, 16:30:36 | Engadget