September 24, 2021 – Peter van Barneveld
It sounds like something that happen in a Star Trek movie, but thanks to The Team at X, Alphabet’s research and development company, I know it is possible. They successfully set up a laser-based system for beaming the internet across the Congo River at speeds up to 20 Gbps.
Using laser beams to send internet over a longer distance is very difficult, because a tiny movement of the laser equipment will result in change in direction and consequently in unreliable internet. X solved this by creating a sensory feedback system that constantly monitors the placement of the beam and then makes corrections to mirrors mounted on the receiving equipment to keep the beam fixed on the receiver.
Laser beamed internet can be a fantastic solutions to bring fiber-like internet to underserved communities around the world, where it is difficult to install internet because of geographic locations or costs. That is really an amazing future!
Would love to read what you think!
Want to read more? This is the future signal source: Beaming broadband across the Congo River.
