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Alphabet’s Taara Project Advances with New Chip Development

Alphabet has unveiled substantial progress in its Taara project, which aims to provide affordable, high-speed internet access to remote areas. At the forefront of this initiative is the Taara chip, introduced by Mahesh Krishnaswamy, the general manager of Taara. This innovative silicon photonic chip utilizes light to transmit data rapidly through the air, offering a solution that is significantly smaller and more efficient than previous technologies used by the Alphabet division.

The initial generation of Taara technology, known as Taara Lightbridge, resembles the size of a traffic light and relies on a complex system of mirrors and sensors to direct light. In contrast, the new Taara chip has a footprint comparable to a fingernail and operates via advanced software, eliminating the need for extensive physical components.

As part of X, Alphabet’s experimental division, Taara draws upon technology originally devised for Project Loon, which aimed to provide internet through balloons. After the project’s closure in 2021, Alphabet refocused its efforts on Taara, employing its capabilities to deliver broadband services across challenging environments, such as the Congo River and urban streets in Nairobi. Prior trials in India also explored the feasibility of light-based internet transmissions well before Project Loon’s termination.

The underlying principle of Taara’s technology involves a “very narrow, invisible light beam” capable of transmitting data at speeds reaching 20 gigabits per second over distances of up to 20 kilometers (12.1 miles). Unlike traditional fiber optics, which require cables to conduct light, Taara’s system operates through directed beams emitted from its units. However, establishing a secure link necessitates precise alignment between the two units. The initial Lightbridge technology incorporated mechanisms to physically steer these beams, whereas the new chip autonomously manages this alignment through software-controlled light emitters.

According to Krishnaswamy, the installation process for Taara’s light-beaming units is expected to be drastically expedited, reducing installation times from months or years required for fiber to just a few days. In laboratory tests, the Taara team successfully transmitted data at 10 Gbps over a distance of one kilometer (0.62 miles) utilizing two of the newly developed chips. Looking forward, the team aims to enhance the chip’s performance by developing versions equipped with thousands of light emitters. Production and wider deployment of the chip are anticipated by 2026.

Source
www.engadget.com