While most eyes are fixed skyward on Elon Musk’s Starlink and its constellation of satellites, a quieter and equally ambitious player is sending internet across Earth not from above, but through beams of light. Meet Taara, a California startup emerging from Alphabet’s X lab, now operating independently with a bold mission: to bring high-speed, low-cost internet to underserved parts of the world using laser technology.
Taara takes a radically different approach from satellite-based systems like Starlink. Rather than orbiting routers in the sky, Taara relies on “Lightbridges,” small, rooftop-friendly terminals that fire invisible laser beams between fixed points up to 20 kilometers apart. Capable of delivering up to 20 gigabits per second, this system offers data speeds that are 10 to 100 times faster than typical satellite internet.
It’s internet delivery that skips the middleman and the atmosphere.
“Installation takes just a few hours, no trenching, no satellites, and a fraction of the environmental impact.”
Taara’s technology isn’t just a theory, yet it’s already up and running in 12 countries. A standout test connected Brazzaville and Kinshasa, capital cities on opposite sides of the Congo River, using a single 5-kilometer laser link. The results? 700 terabytes of data transferred with 99.99% uptime, at a tiny cost compared to satellite or fiber.
It’s also been deployed for major events like Coachella, showing its ability to support high-demand mobile traffic without miles of cables or temporary towers.
Maintaining a laser connection isn’t easy. Fog, rain, or even birds can disrupt the signal. To address this, Taara developed an advanced auto-tracking system that adjusts the laser’s alignment in real time, keeping the connection rock-solid even in places like Kenya’s Rift Valley, where environmental factors pose a real challenge.
Looking ahead, the company is developing a photonics chip version of its system, targeting a 2026 release. This compact version could be embedded in IoT devices, drones, or autonomous vehicles, taking laser connectivity to a whole new level.
Taara isn’t looking to replace satellite internet; it’s designed to complement it. Where Starlink excels in remote, infrastructure-free zones like ships and aircraft, Taara is ideal for bridging local gaps, such as between villages, across rivers, or around infrastructure barriers in cities.
It’s also a reliable backup solution for fiber networks, offering a quick-deploy alternative in emergencies or disasters.
“While Starlink is ideal for remote ships, aircraft, or isolated communities, Taara shines in short-range, high-bandwidth links.”
Now charting its course outside Alphabet, Taara is partnering with governments, telecoms, and humanitarian groups to roll out its Lightbridges globally. From island towns to disaster zones, the company is rapidly expanding, driven by a simple but powerful mission:
“To deliver fast, affordable, and abundant internet to everyone, everywhere.”
