- Taara says BEAD now opens doors for fiber-like free space optical (FSO) tech
- FSO could help operators get around permitting obstacles
- Weather interference is an issue, but FSO could be a viable option for middle-mile infrastructure, an analyst told us
The revised Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program paves the way for more wireless and satellite players to join in on the action. It also presents an opportunity for free space optical (FSO) technology to help bridge the digital divide, according to Taara.
Taara, which recently spun off from Google’s X Moonshot Factory, touts its Lightbridge technology as key for delivering high-speed connectivity over railroad crossings, waterways, and mountain passes – places where operators have typically struggled to secure permitting.
FSO has been around for a while. The technology essentially uses the same beam of light as fiber to transmit data, except it doesn’t need fiber optic cable as a conduit. Attochron, Transcelestial and X-Lumin are some other companies that specialize in FSO and laser comms.
With unlicensed optical spectrum, Taara said it can beam 20 Gbps of high-speed connectivity across a distance of up to 20 kilometers. Its terminals can be installed on poles, rooftops or towers “within hours” to accommodate projects on tight BEAD timelines, wrote CEO Mahesh Krishnaswamy in a blog this week.
“In most cases, operators can deploy a link for less than the total cost of burying a few kilometers of fiber,” he said.
Whether providers will use FSO for BEAD projects remains to be seen, as states are currently relaunching their application portals to comply with the new rules. But the tech shows “tremendous promise” to deliver broadband to hard-to-reach areas, said WISPA Director of Communications Mike Wendy.
“If Taara can help enable last-mile connectivity – be it with fiber or wireless – it should be part of the solutions matrix for states and BEAD,” he told Fierce. “Today’s WISPs don’t really care how they connect their customers, only that they can.”
Like any other broadband technology, FSO isn’t without its challenges. Namely, it can be tough to deal with unpredictable weather conditions associated with wind, rain and fog, said Mobile Experts Principal Kyung Mun.
“The laser beam link would require precise beam alignment for optimal speed and capacity,” he explained. “I am not sure how Taara handles that.”
Interference from weather and other elements, such as trees, is also considered a common hurdle for fixed wireless access (FWA). Tarana, however, has developed technology to get around FWA signal issues.
Despite weather constraints, Mun believes there’s a “viable market” for Taara and FSO in middle-mile broadband infrastructure, given the tech’s capacity and long-reach links.
For Taara’s part, it’s continuing to make strides in the FSO space. The company created a new chip with most of the core functionality of Lightbridge, just reduced to the size of a fingernail.
Taara in May also struck a partnership with telecom equipment supplier Digicomm to expand its Lightbridge deployment to broadband providers, enterprises and municipalities.