From snow -capped summits to equatorial forests, Internet access remains a major challenge for nearly three billion humans. In these areas where the fiber does not happen and where the satellites are struggling to follow, a new solution unfolds at high speed. A light beam, imperceptible to the naked eye, transports data without cable or orbit. Behind this feat is Taara, a technology developed behind the scenes of Google X and now carried by an independent company which aims to transform global access to connectivity.
Originally, Taara was a derivative of the Loon program, these famous stratospheric balloons imagined by Google to connect distant regions. When this project was abandoned in 2021, part of the engineers refocused the efforts on the transmission of data by earthly light beams. Since then, Taara has grown up with a clear ambition. That of offering a viable alternative to wired or satellite networks in difficult to access areas.
ZDNET recalls that the project has already been successfully tested in a dozen countries, from Kenya to India, including the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the most striking cases remains that of the Congo river. A 5 km laser link between Kinshasa and Brazzaville then made it possible to drastically reduce access to the Internet on the Congolese side.
TAARA technology upsets connectivity codes
The principle is simple, but formidably effective: transmit very high speed data using an invisible light beam, sent from one point to another over a distance of up to 20 kilometers. This technique, comparable to fiber optic without cable, is freed from heavy infrastructure constraints, while reaching equivalent speeds, up to 20 gigabits per second.
Wired attributes this performance to “lightbridges”. These compact boxes incorporate mirrors and sensors that stabilize the aim of the aim, even in the rain or in the wind. In 2026, a real revolution must follow with the arrival of a miniaturized photonic chip. This chip will reduce the device to the size of a nail, will facilitate its production and accelerate its deployment, especially in connected objects or vehicles.
GEO specifies that this chip works in a band of the electromagnetic spectrum located between infrared and visible light, a choice that allows data to be transmitted while avoiding conventional interference from radio waves. All with an electrical consumption equivalent to a 40 W bulb.
Who will this revolution benefit from?
Today, nearly 3 billion people still do not have access to a reliable connection. For Mahesh Krishnaswamy, director of the Taara project, quoted in Interesting Engineering, this situation is unacceptable. His goal is therefore clear. Bring a quick, accessible and durable internet to the most remote areas – but not only.
Already tested during the Coachella festival in 2024, TAARA technology has been effective in temporarily providing broadband in areas with high crowds. Installations take place in rural areas, sometimes directly on pylons or even on trees. This type of deployment is essential where the fiber is too expensive to install. This solution thus remains precious in emergency. But it also finds its place in sustainable projects. It is used on isolated industrial sites or in poorly covered neighborhoods.
Taara does not try to compete head on with Starlink. The two approaches are complementary. Where the satellites cover the globe, Taara lasers precisely target fixed points on the ground. One is addressed to planes and ships, the other to the forgotten villages of cable operators.
By emancipating himself from alphabet, Taara therefore gains the freedom necessary to adapt her technology to the realities on the ground. The project has already attracted funding via Series X Capital, and now targets strategic partnerships with governments, telecom operators and NGOs.
