Google's Taara Project Advances Light-Based Internet with New Miniature Chip

The innovative technology aims to deliver high-speed connectivity using laser beams, potentially replacing fiber optics in challenging environments.

Google's X division has unveiled a new 13mm silicon photonic chip for its Taara project, designed to transmit internet data via laser beams through the air.
The Taara chip significantly reduces the size and complexity of previous hardware, which was as large as a traffic light, enabling faster and more cost-effective deployment.
Taara's second-generation technology can currently transmit data at speeds of up to 10 Gbps over a 1km range, with plans to extend both range and capacity in future iterations.
The technology has already been deployed in 12 countries, including use cases like bridging connectivity across the Congo River and supporting networks at events like Coachella.
Experts see light-based internet as a potential solution to the growing congestion of radio frequency bands, with Taara positioned to play a key role in the future of global connectivity.