Google's Taara Hopes To Usher in a New Era of Internet Powered by Light (wired.com) 11
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:2)
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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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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"transmits internet" (*sigh*) (Score:2)
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:1)
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
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.