Charles Kao, yemwe adapeza zina mwa zinthu zakuthupi za galasi m'zaka za m'ma 1960, adakhazikitsa maziko a kulumikizana kwa data mwachangu m'nthawi ya chidziwitso ndipo amadziwika kuti "tate wa kulumikizana kwa ulusi wa kuwala." Ntchito ya Dr. Kao isanayambe, anthu ambiri ankakhulupirira kuti ulusi wagalasi sunali woyenera ngati owongolera chidziwitso chifukwa cha kutayika kwakukulu kwa chizindikiro komwe kumachitika chifukwa cha kufalikira kwa kuwala. Dr. Kao adazindikira kuti poyeretsa galasi mosamala, n'zotheka kupanga mitolo ya ulusi wopyapyala womwe ungatumize chidziwitso chambiri patali popanda kuchepetsa chizindikiro ndipo ukhoza kusintha mawaya amkuwa kuti azitha kulumikizana. Adagawana Mphoto ya Nobel ya 2009 mu Fizikisi ndi katswiri wa sayansi ya zaku Canada Willard S. Boyle (1924-2011) ndi wasayansi waku America George E. Smith (1930-), Pamodzi, adapanga chipangizo cholumikizidwa ndi chaji chosinthira chidziwitso cha kuwala kukhala zizindikiro zamagetsi. Ulusi wa kuwala ndi zida zolumikizidwa ndi chaji zimathandiza kulumikizana kwa broadband komwe maphunziro azachipatala amakono ndi kufalitsa zamagetsi kumadalira, monganso zida zinazake zojambula m'zida za maso ndi ma microscope.

Charles Kao anabadwa pa Novembala 4, 1933, ku Shanghai, China. Bambo ake, loya, adalandira digiri yake ya udokotala kuchokera ku yunivesite ya Michigan mu 1925 ndipo pambuyo pake adakhala pulofesa ku yunivesite ya Soochow ku Shanghai. Ali mwana, Dr. Kao ankaphunzira mabuku akale achi China kunyumba ndi mphunzitsi ndipo anaphunzira Chingerezi ndi Chifalansa kusukulu yapadziko lonse ku Shanghai.

Mu 1948, Dr. Kao anasamutsa banja lake ku Hong Kong. Mu 1952, Dr. Kao anamaliza sukulu ya sekondale ku St. Joseph's College. Kenako anapita ku England kukamaliza maphunziro ake a digiri yoyamba mu uinjiniya wamagetsi ku Woolwich Polytechnic (tsopano ndi University of Greenwich). Mu 1965, Dr. Kao adalandira digiri ya udokotala mu uinjiniya wamagetsi kuchokera ku University of London ndipo anagwira ntchito ngati injiniya ku Standard Telephone and Cable Research Center ku Harlow, England.

Mu 1970, adalowa nawo ku Chinese University of Hong Kong kuti akhazikitse Dipatimenti ya Uinjiniya Wamagetsi. Mu 1974, adasamukira ku Roanoke, Virginia, USA, kukagwira ntchito ku ITT Corporation (kampani yayikulu ya Standard telefoni ndi chingwe) monga wasayansi wamkulu ndipo pambuyo pake monga director wa uinjiniya. Panthawiyi, ma patent ambiri ofunikira okhudzana ndi fiber optics adaperekedwa. Mu 1982, adasankhidwa kukhala wasayansi wamkulu woyamba wa ITT ndipo adasamukira ku Connecticut, komwe adagwiranso ntchito ngati pulofesa wothandizira ku Yale University. Mu 1987, Dr. Kao adabwerera ku Chinese University of Hong Kong ngati Wachiwiri kwa purezidenti. Anapuma pantchito mu 1996 ndipo kuyambira pamenepo wakhala akugwira ntchito zoyendera ndi maudindo osiyanasiyana aulemu.

Mu 2004, Dr. Kao anapezeka ndi matenda a Alzheimer, ndipo iye ndi mkazi wake, May-Wan, yemwe kale anali katswiri wa mapulogalamu a Fortran omwe anakumana nawo pamene ankaphunzira ku London m'ma 1950, pamapeto pake anasamukira ku California kuti akakhale pafupi ndi ana awo. Dr. Kao atapatsidwa Mphoto ya Nobel, mkazi wake anati mu kuyankhulana kuti mphotoyo idzagwiritsidwa ntchito kulipira ndalama zachipatala za Dr. Kao, mwina nthawi yoyamba yomwe Mphoto ya Nobel inagwiritsidwa ntchito pa cholinga chotere.

Chidindo cha ku Hong Kong chokumbukira Dr. Kao chinaperekedwa mu 2010. Kuwonjezera pa Mphoto ya Nobel, Dr. Kao walandira mphoto zambiri, kuphatikizapo Mendulo ya Faraday mu 1989, Mendulo ya Alexander Graham mu 1985, Mendulo ya Marconi mu 1985, ndi madigiri ambiri aulemu ochokera ku mayunivesite ndi makoleji padziko lonse lapansi.