The chip functions similarly to traditional fiber optic cable, using light to carry data, but without the physical cable.
Lightning-fast internet coming
The new chip can use advanced software to help steer beams of light to where they are needed. Furthermore, it is considerably smaller than its predecessor.
The original Taara Lightbridge technology was roughly the size of a traffic light; the new chip is approximately the size of a fingernail, offering a substantial increase in convenience.
Taara was initially developed for X’s Project Loon internet broadcasting balloons. However, Alphabet shut that project down in 2021 to focus on the Taara chip alone.
The chip, or its predecessor, has even been tested to beam broadband across the Congo River and the streets of Nairobi.