Everyone knows the woes of slow internet connection speeds, but the Google Taara chip could provide Internet to previously unreachable areas — and at speeds of up to 20Gbps per second. This project has been in development for years, but the team behind it just announced the next-generation Taara chip.
Taara is a silicon photonic chip, which is a technical way of saying it transmits data through the air using beams of light. The original version of Taara worked, but it had limitations — namely, the complicated series of mirrors and hardware needed to adjust the direction of the beam. The new version utilizes advanced software to steer the beam.
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What’s more, the original project — Taara Lightbridge — was the size of a traffic light. Those look small hanging above the road, but they’re significantly bulkier up close. The second generation shrinks the required size to that of a fingernail.
This map shows how undersea cables build the backbone of the internet. Submarine Cable Map / NA
By using light as its medium, Taara is able to find near-infinite bandwidth in the middle of the spectrum. A quick science lesson: the electromagnetic spectrum is broken down into different frequencies. Visible light is one of these. Taara uses the part of the spectrum that lies between infrared and visible light.
By using a narrow beam of light (invisible to the eye), Taara transmits data as fast as 20Gbps for up to 20km at once. The chip can be installed and set up in a matter of hours, compared to the months or years it takes to install fiber infrastructure.
Taara will be available in 2026, but while installation may be fast, adoption is slow. It’s likely to be years before this technology is readily available for the average consumer, but this breakthrough is a step in the right direction and is essential for bringing internet connectivity to areas where traditional infrastructure can’t go.
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