This is being done under a project known as — Taara, a part of Alphabet's innovation lab called X, also nicknamed the "Moonshot Factory."
Based on open standards to work with existing infrastructure, including radio and fiber, Taara uses light to transmit information at super high speeds through the air as a very narrow, invisible beam.
The Taara team is implementing 20 Gbps connectivity over distances up to 20 km with units that are fast and easy to deploy. The team is working with telcos, internet service providers (ISPs), and governments around the world to significantly accelerate the deployment of the extensive, high-throughput networks necessary to support the future of the web.
The Taara team is currently deploying their light beam internet technology in India, Africa, and other locations around the world.
WATCH: Google parent Alphabet is delivering internet service to remote areas using beams of light. The project known as Taara is part of Alphabet's innovation lab called X https://t.co/keIr86kJr5 pic.twitter.com/xArEGntkTY
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 2, 2023
For Project Taara, the deployment with Bharti Airtel is its largest deployment in India to date, following several pilot projects including rural villages in Andhra Pradesh, downtown Nairobi, and remote areas of Fiji and Tonga.
Notably, last year in January Google invested $700 million for a 1.28% stake in Bharti Airtel. Although, Taara's partnership with Bharti Airtel is separate from the Google investment.
In an official blog post, Mahesh Krishnaswamy, General Manager, Project Taara at X said, "Over the coming months Airtel will be deploying Taara’s links across their network in rural and urban areas in an effort to bring fast affordable internet to more people. This rollout follows a number of pilots with Airtel and is the largest deployment of Taara in India to date."
To recall, in a similar lines of laser based communications, Transcelestial, a Singapore-based startup which makes wireless laser communications equipment, had raised $10 million in a funding round led by Airbus Ventures and others, in February this year.
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