Alphabet’s Taara Lightbridge Takes on Starlink with Laser-Powered Internet for Africa and Beyond

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is stepping back into the global internet race—this time with lasers. On March 17, the tech giant launched Taara Lightbridge as a standalone company, spun out from its X “moonshot” lab, to deliver high-speed internet using light beams rather than satellites or cables. The move puts Alphabet in direct competition with Elon Musk’s Starlink, but with a ground-based approach designed to reach remote and underserved regions more affordably.

While Starlink relies on a satellite constellation, Taara uses Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC)—a technology that beams narrow laser signals through the air, achieving speeds of up to 20 gigabits per second over distances of 20 kilometers. It functions like fiber optics without the fiber, providing an energy-efficient and scalable alternative to traditional broadband infrastructure. Already operational in 12 countries, Taara is targeting expansion in Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria, aiming to serve part of the 3 billion people globally without reliable internet—including 860 million in Africa.

Innovative Tech with Real-World Results

Taara’s system is not just theory—it’s already bridged the Congo River, connecting Kinshasa and Brazzaville in a region where trenching fiber was impossible. The technology requires line-of-sight connectivity, meaning obstacles like rain or buildings could interfere. To tackle this, Taara developed AI-powered mirrors that auto-detect and maintain alignment between laser units, ensuring a stable signal.

Currently, the laser device is the size of a traffic light, designed to be mounted on rooftops or towers. However, the team is working to shrink it to the size of a fingernail, making deployment cheaper and potentially allowing households to host their own mini-Taara units. CEO Mahesh Krishnaswamy explained on Google’s Moonshot Podcast that this innovation could eliminate the need for costly fiber trenching while maintaining high-speed internet access.

Partnering for Impact and Scaling Connectivity

To scale globally, Taara is partnering with internet service providers, telecoms like Liquid Telecoms (under Cassava Technologies), and governments. The focus is on rural communities, disaster-hit regions, and areas where traditional internet infrastructure is impractical. Unlike Starlink, which faces ongoing costs of satellite launches, Taara’s ground-based model is more cost-effective and energy-efficient, making it a compelling alternative in emerging markets.

With the closure of its balloon-based Project Loon in 2021, Alphabet is now laser-focused on bringing the internet to the ground—literally. As the race for global connectivity heats up, Taara Lightbridge represents Alphabet’s bid to bridge the digital divide and shape the future of internet access—one beam of light at a time.