Google's Taara Hopes To Usher in a New Era of Internet Powered by Light (wired.com) 20
Alphabet's X division has developed a silicon photonic chip for its Taara project, which transmits internet via laser beams instead of fiber optic cables. The system delivers 20Gbps through "light bridges" that establish line-of-sight connections between transceiver units. The second-generation technology miniaturizes previous mechanical components -- including gimbals, mirrors, and lenses -- into solid-state circuitry the size of a fingernail.
This chip enables a single laser transmitter to potentially pair with multiple receptors, significantly reducing costs from the current ~$30,000 per bridge setup. Taara has already demonstrated real-world viability by connecting Brazzaville and Kinshasa across the Congo River, providing the latter with five-fold cheaper internet access, and supplementing bandwidth at Coachella 2024. Project leader Mahesh Krishnaswamy claims Taara can deliver "10, if not 100 times more bandwidth" than Starlink in dense areas. X's Astro Teller suggests this technology could form the foundation for 7G networks as radio frequency bands become increasingly congested. Taara will soon "graduate" from X and seek external funding, with Alphabet maintaining a significant stake.
Further reading: Official blog post.
This chip enables a single laser transmitter to potentially pair with multiple receptors, significantly reducing costs from the current ~$30,000 per bridge setup. Taara has already demonstrated real-world viability by connecting Brazzaville and Kinshasa across the Congo River, providing the latter with five-fold cheaper internet access, and supplementing bandwidth at Coachella 2024. Project leader Mahesh Krishnaswamy claims Taara can deliver "10, if not 100 times more bandwidth" than Starlink in dense areas. X's Astro Teller suggests this technology could form the foundation for 7G networks as radio frequency bands become increasingly congested. Taara will soon "graduate" from X and seek external funding, with Alphabet maintaining a significant stake.
Further reading: Official blog post.
what about rain? wind? (Score:1)
what about rain? wind?
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Not to mention, having to be in a straight line is kinda inconvenient,
Re: what about rain? wind? (Score:2)
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Currently used microwave links have similar limitations. Maybe they're more resistant to fog. I think planes flying so low to obstruct tower-to-tower LOS are danger to more than just an internet connectivity ðY..
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Depends on the location. Near an airport can have a lot of planes at low altitude.
As for fog It depends on the frequency. There are some frequencies that simply go away during rainstorms. As for blocking of microwave laser light, under normal situations, microwaves spread out more, so won't be affected as much, due to the smaller wavelengths, it can be brought to a finer focus.
The only practical use of this would be internally where the straight line nature of laser light could be utilized.
The best p
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Or passing planes, or a host of other things that can get in the way, block the lasers, and bring down the network.
On the other hand, it probably does really well with ships dragging anchors.
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Or passing planes, or a host of other things that can get in the way, block the lasers, and bring down the network.
On the other hand, it probably does really well with ships dragging anchors.
Especially if it is a US Navy laser! 8^)
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X-ray lasers. :D
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Crystals!!!
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Or how about a flock of birds? Or locusts? Or a dust storm?
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Well rain is an issue. Typically that's counteracted by widening the beam. However that's an issue with virtually all free-space links. Microwave links essentially have the same problem.
Essentially there are 2 ways around it:
1. Increase the power so it'll work for the desired reliability, and plan the link accordingly
2. dynamically determine how good your link is, then switch modulation or error correction to still get the desired bit error rate at the desired reliability.
Doing it by light enables you to ha
"transmits internet" (*sigh*) (Score:3)
Thankfully that's only in TFS, not TFAs, but, still, sad to see on a tech site.
7G = "we want investors and we're ready to lie" (Score:2)
4G is a thing. It was standardized, developed, engineered, deployed and in-use.
5G is not a thing. It is different in different regions, offers nothing in some, and certainly didn't make "remote heart surgery" or other nonsense happen.
6G isn't even anything at all. No concept and no standard and of course no deployment.
But these people say 7G.
Want investment money much? Just add "quantum" or "AI" or "blockchain" or "has wheels" or "choo-choo rails" to it.
This PR buttlick was not worth the bits used to st
Re: 7G = "we want investors and we're ready to lie (Score:2)
foundation for 7G networks as radio frequency bands become increasingly congested.
Not really that congested. The major carriers are practically giving away 4/5G to MVNOs. Before the FCC slaps them for trying to corner the bandwidth market and takes the licenses back.
AT&Ts FirstNet is a joke, judging by the scanner traffic from cops who can't get their in-car PCs to connect. Our power company is restoring its mesh meter reading system after the unfulfilled promise of cellular connectivity.
At any rate optical fixed broadband has been tried before (Terrabeam and others) and failed. No
Starlink competitor how? (Score:2)
This is useless for satellite to Earth, because all over the planet there are these humongous white fluffy things floating around blocking view of the sky. I find them quite annoying. Not sure if they ever noticed those.
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They are talking about bandwidth density... and it's easy to be better than Starlink in that regard. Starlink is more suited for sparsely populated areas with no infrastructure.
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Drones? (Score:2)