Taara, an independent project originating from Google's Moonshot Factory X, recently announced an innovative commercial communication solution, launching the wireless communication platform Taara Photonics based on optical phased arrays and its first product, Taara Beam. This technology integrates the core functionalities of high-speed wireless optical communication into an integrated circuit that electronically controls light, reducing network deployment time to just hours, enabling more flexible expansion, and allowing for optimization over time without the need for fiber optic cabling or spectrum acquisition.
As the first product of this photonic platform, Taara Beam features a compact design capable of providing 25 Gbps high-speed, low-latency wireless optical communication over distances up to 10 kilometers. It is specifically designed for operators, enterprises, and next-generation data infrastructure, bringing fiber-like speeds to environments traditionally difficult or costly to cover with conventional networks, marking a shift from fixed physical networks towards on-demand, evolving infrastructure.
Traditional free-space optical systems rely on mechanical components to steer light beams, whereas Taara Beam employs solid-state optical phased array technology. Its core is an integrated photonic module containing thousands of micro-emitters. This design enhances the precision of light tracking and steering, improves reliability, reduces latency, and simultaneously decreases size and mechanical complexity.
Taara has already deployed high-speed internet in over 20 countries globally through its first system, Taara Lightbridge, with partners including Airtel, Digicel, T-Mobile, SoftBank, and Liquid. Taara Beam aims to further promote wireless optical communication technology. Its shoebox-sized form factor increases network density and flexibility, making it suitable for urban areas, enterprise campuses, data centers, and event venues, eliminating the high costs and time delays associated with traditional physical infrastructure.
The product can be deployed on rooftops or existing structures within hours, forming high-bandwidth mesh networks that support applications like small cell backhaul, fronthaul networks, and real-time AI systems. By operating in the unlicensed optical spectrum, it avoids spectrum congestion and recurring costs, delivering performance at the speed required by modern networks.
Mahesh Krishnaswamy, Founder and CEO of Taara, stated: "Every generation of connectivity has been constrained by physical factors—the speed of copper, the time to deploy fiber, and the scarcity of radio spectrum. As light travels through the air, these constraints are fading. Taara Beam is the first commercial product from our photonics platform, and this is just the beginning. We are not merely improving networks; we are eliminating their inherent limitations. We are excited to showcase this technology at MWC, moving towards a future where connectivity is as indispensable, abundant, and invisible as the air."
Devin Brinkley, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Taara, added: "Silicon photonics allows us to integrate the core functions of wireless optical communication into a single module. We have already compressed much of the functionality of our previous systems into a photonic module the size of a finger. As the technology matures, it can scale in performance, cost, and size, similar to the exponential evolution of semiconductor platforms."
