Alphabet's X Division Unveils 'Taara Chip' to Revolutionize Internet Connectivity Using Light Beams

The Taara chip is a groundbreaking innovation from Alphabet's X division, designed to revolutionize internet connectivity using light beams.

In July 2023, IndianWeb2 reported that Google's parent Alphabet and Indian telecom and internet provider, Bharti Airtel, working together to deploy a new laser internet technology in India, under a project known as — Taara, a part of Alphabet's X division.

This silicon photonic chip, about the size of a fingernail, leverages light to transmit high-speed data, making it a cost-effective and efficient solution for providing internet access, especially in remote and underserved areas.

 

Here are some key highlights of Taara Chip system:

• High-Speed Data Transmission: The Taara chip can transmit data at speeds of up to 10 Gbps over a distance of 1 kilometer.
• Software-Based Beam Steering: Unlike its predecessor, the Taara Lightbridge, which used mechanical components, the Taara chip relies on software to steer, track, and correct light beams with extraordinary precision.
• Cost-Effective and Quick Deployment: The chip can be set up in a matter of days, making it a viable solution for areas where laying traditional fiber-optic cables is impractical or too costly.
• Potential Applications: The technology could bring high-speed internet to underserved regions, rethink data center operations, and enable faster, safer communication for autonomous vehicles.

The first commercial iteration of the Taara chip is expected to be available by 2026.

How does Taara technology compare to fiber-optic solutions?

Let's break down the comparison between Taara technology and traditional fiber-optic solutions:

 

Feature	Taara Technology	Fiber-Optic Solutions
Data Transmission	Light beams, up to 10 Gbps over 1 km	Light through cables, high-speed over long distances
Deployment	Quick and cost-effective, set up in days	Time-consuming and costly, especially in tough terrains
Flexibility	Ideal for remote or challenging areas	Suited for urban and suburban areas with infrastructure
Maintenance	Software-based, reducing potential points of failure	Requires regular upkeep of physical infrastructure
Geographical Suitability	Remote and geographically challenging areas	Urban and suburban areas
Key Advantages	Cost-effective, quick to deploy, flexible	Gold standard for high-speed connectivity

Alphabets X team says that it imagines a future where connectivity is not bound by cables or constrained by cost. By dramatically reducing the size and complexity of Taara Chip-powered systems, the team's aim is to eventually drastically reduce the cost of connectivity, creating a network effect within the industry.

Using chips deployed in a global mesh network, the Google's parent firm sees opportunities to bring high-speed internet to underserved regions, rethink the way data centers are built and operated, enable faster, create safer communication for autonomous vehicles, and so much more. The possibilities are as boundless as light itself.

Taara’s chip will be available in Alphabet's next product launching in 2026. However, before then, the company is inviting researchers and innovators interested in exploring new applications for this technology to get in touch.