Using a "bright" idea, Google's Taara chip brings the internet to those who can't connect to it
Imagine a future where high-speed internet access is sent through beams of light. That's the goal of Google's secret R&D lab "X" which is working on a project codenamed Taara. The latter is a chip that was developed to deliver data at the speed of light. Google's Mahesh Krishnaswamy, General Manager, Taara, wrote in a blog post that the chip has been tested for the last seven years and has been able to deliver the internet at speeds as fast as fiber.
The chip would be able to bring internet access to areas where traditional connectivity is too expensive or too geographically challenging to offer it. Looking to reduce the complexity and cost of the Taara chip, Google today announced its next-gen Taara chip. Most of the core functionality of the Taara Lightbridge, the first generation of the system, moved light physically using a system of mirrors, sensors, and hardware; the next-gen chip uses software to steer, track, and correct the beam of light without requiring bulky moving parts.
With today's big news, the core functionality of Taara Lightbridge has been reduced from the size of a traffic light to the size of a fingernail. That's the kind of breakthrough that takes ideas over the finish line to become real-life technology used by many.
The Taara chip used to transmit the internet using beams of light. | Image credit-Google
While mechanical components used to be needed for automatic beam steering, with the new Taara chip, an advanced tracking system "steers, tracks, and corrects light with extraordinary precision." Each Taara chip has hundreds of light emitters and software is used to control the direction that the lights are sent to make sure they go where they need to go for the system to work correctly. When the two light beams lock into each other, they form a secure link for data transmission.
"In tests at the Moonshot Factory labs, our team has successfully transmitted data at 10 Gbps (gigabits per second) over distances of 1 kilometer outdoors using two Taara chips. We believe this is the first time silicon photonics chips have transmitted such high-capacity data outdoors at this distance. And this is just the beginning. We plan to extend both the chip’s range and capacity by creating an iteration with thousands of emitters."-Mahesh Krishnaswamy, General Manager, Taara
While fiber uses light transmitted through underground cables to carry the internet, Taara uses an invisible narrow, light beam to transmit data at speeds as fast as 20 Gbps for a distance as far away as 12.43 miles. One of the reasons why Taara is so important is that it takes only a matter of hours to have the platform up and running compared to the days, months, or even years it takes to install fiber.
Google believes that using light to transmit data will save money and allow underserved areas of the world to connect to the internet. The technology could lead to the launch of autonomous vehicles using Taara to communicate faster. "The possibilities are as boundless as light itself," Krishnaswamy writes.
The Taara chip will launch in 2026, says Google. The company is asking innovators and researchers interested in "exploring new applications for the technology" to contact the team via email at "taarateam@x.team. Who knows? You might just stumble on an amazing application that uses Taara to disseminate the internet to those who might otherwise might never have the chance to tap into its awesome powers.
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