Google in talks with Airtel & Jio to launch high-speed internet

Google is reportedly in discussions with telecom giants Airtel and Jio to introduce high-speed internet and telecom connectivity utilizing light beams.

The technology is a portion of Project Taara which uses light to transfer information at super high speeds through the air as a very narrow, invisible beam, it is like fiber but without the cables, as per Project X, a company within Google.

The technology transfers light beams alternatively of radio waves between transmitters and receivers connected to servers placed on buildings and structures.

The speed could be as high as 20 gigabytes a second linked with less than one gigabyte a second that many users get now, a source intimate with the matter told ET Telecom. “This will be a game-changer since it can connect one to remote regions, have internet connectivity beyond buildings without cables and decrease the burden on towers,” the source noted.

Project Taara has been led in Andhra Pradesh in India and Kenya in Africa, as per reports. Google’s Project X noted that their team is in discussion with telcos, ISPs, and governments around the world about the potential for wireless optical communication technology to significantly stimulate the deployment of the large, high-throughput networks necessary to preserve the future of the web.

“The system is effective in areas that are challenging to connect using fiber cables. These involve sites located around forests, water bodies, railway tracks, or land with high real estate costs,” the blog states. It is based on open types to work seamlessly with existing infrastructure and environments.

Wireless optical communication technology can transfer data at high speeds of up to 20Gbps. A single link can reach distances up to 20 Km and be applied to extend fiber networks.

The project aims to allow a cost-effective and fast deployable way to bring high-speed connectivity to remote areas. Taara links help plug critical gaps to major passage points, like cell towers and WiFi hotspots and have the potential to benefit thousands of people to access the educational, business, and communication benefits of the web, the blog noted.

Earlier in February this year, Google shut its ‘Station’ project through which it provided free Wi-Fi to 415 railway stations in India.

The project was removed off by the company after 5 years of its operation owing to the increased 4G connectivity across the country and low data tariffs. In July, Google had invested $10 billion to India under its digitization fund out of which Rs 33,737 crore were spent in Jio Platforms for a 7.7 percent stake.