Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is spinning off internet startup Taara, which is focused on developing a laser internet network, into a separate company.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is spinning off internet startup Taara, which is focused on developing a laser internet network, into a separate company.
The startup received support from Series X Capital, and Alphabet will retain a minority stake, the Financial Times reports .
Independence will help Taara, according to Alphabet CEO Eric Teller, «quickly connect to market capital and generally be able to grow faster.»
Google’s Taara uses waves using an optical laser. The technology in development allows data to be transmitted at a speed of 20 gigabits per second within a radius of 20 km. In addition, another advantage is its low energy consumption: it requires only a small amount of energy to operate, which is needed to light a light bulb.
Taara is already operating in 12 countries and even partnered with T-Mobile to supplement congested networks at the Coachella music festival in the US, as a supplement when phone networks were overwhelmed. The Alphabet startup has also designed a 5-kilometer laser line on the Congo River, connecting the cities of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In June 2023, it became known that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, had begun cooperation with Indian telecommunications operator Bharti Airtel as part of a project called Taara, the aim of which was to make high-speed internet available even in remote areas.
At the time, Taara was reported to have already helped connect internet services in 13 countries, including Australia, Kenya and Fiji. It also had deals with Econet Group and its subsidiary Liquid Telecom in Africa, internet provider Bluetown in India and Digicel in the Pacific Islands.
The Taara terminal, about the size of a traffic light, shoots laser beams through the atmosphere to transmit data — essentially fiber-optic internet without cables. These terminals can provide high-quality internet connectivity to both remote and densely populated areas.
