Google's new device, which will deliver 10 GB over a distance of 1 km, will link homes to the internet anywhere in the world.
Google is working on a creative project that has the potential to completely transform connectivity in isolated and rural locations. The project's main goal is to create a chip known as "Taara," which can send data by using light pulses instead of more conventional physical infrastructure like optical fiber. In tests, it has already shown 10 gigabits over a kilometer distance.
TechSpot claims that Taara's silicon technology enables accurate and reliable data communications by converting electrical signals into light pulses. This chip, which is roughly the size of a traffic light, is used in devices that have a system of mirrors and sensors that focus light on specific locations.
In experiments with a device similar to a traffic light, such as the one described below, Google was able to transmit data at up to 10 gigabit speeds over up to one kilometer. Its components can also be controlled remotely, which lowers costs, because they are software-controlled.
This project is the perfect way to bring connectivity to remote, difficult-to-reach places where setting up conventional infrastructure would be costly or impractical. Additionally, Taara provides a cost-effective and efficient substitute for satellite coverage, which is far more costly, by using light to transmit data.
Google plans to commercialize Taara-based products by 2026, so it is open to collaborations with other companies. Taara joins Google's larger efforts to bring internet to remote areas, such as Project Loon, which used helium balloons in the stratosphere to provide internet access to rural areas. Although this project was discontinued in 2021, its experience has informed the development of new solutions like Taara.
Google will continue testing Taara as a solution to bridge the digital divide in rural and remote areas, using silicon photonics to transmit data over light at speeds comparable to fiber optics. Without the need for expensive infrastructure or complex components, this technology is a viable and cost-effective alternative to traditional networks and satellite solutions, such as Starlink.