UCharles Kao, owathola ezinye zezakhiwo ezibonakalayo zengilazi ngawo-1960, wabeka isisekelo sokuxhumana kwedatha okusheshayo enkathini yolwazi futhi waziwa ngokuthi "ubaba wokuxhumana nge-optical fiber." Ngaphambi komsebenzi kaDkt. Kao wokuqala, kwakukholelwa kabanzi ukuthi imicu yengilazi yayingafaneleki njengabaqhubi bolwazi ngenxa yokulahleka okukhulu kwesignali okubangelwa ukusabalala kokukhanya. UDkt. Kao waqaphela ukuthi ngokuhlanza ingilazi ngokucophelela, kwakungenzeka ukudala izinqwaba zemicu emihle engadlulisela ulwazi oluningi emabangeni amade ngokunciphisa okuncane kwesignali futhi ingathatha indawo yezintambo zethusi zokuxhumana. Wabelana ngeNobel Prize ka-2009 kuFiziksi nososayensi wefiziksi waseCanada uWillard S. Boyle (1924-2011) nososayensi waseMelika uGeorge E. Smith (1930-), Bobabili, basungula idivayisi ehlanganisiwe yokushaja yokuguqula ulwazi olubonakalayo lube yizibonakaliso zikagesi. Imicu ye-optical namadivayisi ahlanganisiwe okushaja avumela ukuxhumana kwe-broadband lapho i-informatics yezokwelapha yanamuhla kanye nokushicilelwa kwe-elekthronikhi kuncike khona, njengoba kunjalo namadivayisi athile okuthwebula izithombe kumadivayisi amehlo nama-microscope.

UCharles Kao wazalwa ngoNovemba 4, 1933, eShanghai, eShayina. Uyise, owayengummeli, wathola iziqu zobuDokotela eNyuvesi yaseMichigan ngo-1925 futhi kamuva waba uprofesa eSoochow University eShanghai. Eseyingane, uDkt. Kao wafunda izincwadi zesiShayina zakudala ekhaya nomfundisi futhi wafunda isiNgisi nesiFulentshi esikoleni samazwe ngamazwe eShanghai.

Ngo-1948, uDkt. Kao wathuthela umndeni wakhe eHong Kong. Ngo-1952, uDkt. Kao waphothula isikole samabanga aphezulu eSt. Joseph's College. Wabe eseya eNgilandi ukuyoqedela izifundo zakhe ze-undergraduate zobunjiniyela kagesi eWoolwich Polytechnic (manje eyiNyuvesi yaseGreenwich). Ngo-1965, uDkt. Kao wathola iziqu zobudokotela kwezobunjiniyela kagesi eNyuvesi yaseLondon futhi wasebenza njengonjiniyela eStandard Telephone and Cable Research Center eHarlow, eNgilandi.

Ngo-1970, wajoyina i-Chinese University of Hong Kong ukusungula uMnyango Wezobunjiniyela Bogesi. Ngo-1974, wathuthela eRoanoke, eVirginia, e-USA, ukuyosebenzela i-ITT Corporation (inkampani eyinhloko ye-Standard telephone and cable) njengososayensi oyinhloko futhi kamuva waba ngumqondisi wobunjiniyela. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi, kwafakwa amalungelo amaningi obunikazi ahlobene ne-fiber optics. Ngo-1982, waqokwa njengososayensi wokuqala ophethe i-ITT wathuthela eConnecticut, lapho aphinde wakhonza khona njengoprofesa osizayo eYale University. Ngo-1987, uDkt. Kao wabuyela e-Chinese University of Hong Kong njengePhini likaMongameli. Wathatha umhlalaphansi ngo-1996 futhi kusukela lapho ubelokhu ephethe ubuprofesa obuvakashile kanye nezikhundla ezahlukahlukene zokuhlonipha.

Ngo-2004, uDkt. Kao watholakala enesifo i-Alzheimer's, futhi yena nomkakhe, uMay-wan, owayengumhleli wezinhlelo zeFortran ahlangana naye ngesikhathi efunda eLondon ngawo-1950, bagcina bethuthele eCalifornia ukuze babe seduze nezingane zabo. Ngemva kokuba uDkt. Kao enikezwe uMklomelo weNobel, umkakhe wathi engxoxweni ukuthi lo mklomelo uzosetshenziselwa ukukhokhela izindleko zezokwelapha zikaDkt. Kao, okungenzeka ukuthi kwakungokokuqala ngqa uMklomelo weNobel usetshenziswa ngale njongo.

Isitembu saseHong Kong sokukhumbula uDkt. Kao sakhishwa ngo-2010. Ngaphezu komklomelo weNobel, uDkt. Kao uthole imiklomelo eminingi, okuhlanganisa neFaraday Medal ngo-1989, i-Alexander Graham Medal ngo-1985, iMarconi Medal ngo-1985, kanye neziqu eziningi zokuhlonishwa ezivela emanyuvesi nasemakolishi emhlabeni jikelele.