Chapter 1
Bending light inside glass
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Chapter 2
The deep sea cable network
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Chapter 3
Beaming data through thin air
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Chapter 4
Translating data into photons
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YOUR GOAL
Master of Internet on beams of light
Ch 3 · Beaming data through thin air
play_review Wireless Optical Communication
Across the Congo River, we're shooting beams of light, Sending high-speed internet through the air tonight.
play_review Li-Fi technology uses standard LED lightbulbs to transmit high-speed data wirelessly through the air to local devices.
Fun Fact
Space cat video: In 2023, NASA successfully beamed a 15-second high-definition video of a cat named Taters from 19 million miles away using space lasers.
play_review Modern satellite constellations use lasers to beam data directly between spacecraft, creating an ultra-fast internet network in orbit.
Glossary
free-space optical communication (noun)
A telecommunications technology that uses light propagating in free space to wirelessly transmit data. Alphabet's Project Taara used this technology to transmit internet data across the Congo River.
A telecommunications technology that uses light propagating in free space to wirelessly transmit data. Alphabet's Project Taara used this technology to transmit internet data across the Congo River.
Quiz
Why does light travel faster through the vacuum of space than through a glass fiber optic cable?
play_review Align satellite mirrors to discover how light beams transmit internet data across space.
Quiz
Which type of light is most commonly used in free-space optical internet links to avoid distracting humans?
Quiz
Which Alphabet project uses wireless laser beams to send high-speed internet across rivers and canyons?
Quiz
What was the subject of the high-definition video beamed by NASA's deep space laser in 2023?
Quiz
Who invented Li-Fi, the technology that uses LED lightbulbs to transmit wireless data?
Quiz
What is the primary physical obstacle that can easily disrupt free-space laser internet on Earth?