Google takes on Elon Musk in battle for Africa’s internet

• Laser-powered Taara Lightbridge, an firm owned by Google, is competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink to advance access to internet services in Africa.
• Taara is targeting some 860 million people in Africa who currently go without reliable internet access.
• Taara Lightbridge offers affordable, high-speed internet that rivals satellite broadband solutions.

As Elon Musk’s satellite internet services firm Starlink grows its footprint in Africa, rival Google’s Taara Lightbridge has stepped in for a share of the growing number of consumers in the vast continent.

Taara Lightbridge is the brainchild of Alphabet, the parent company of tech giant Google and is envisioned to become “a standalone company,” as it takes on Starlink “in the race to connect underserved regions with high-speed internet.”

Taara Lightbridge uses Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC) technology to beam high-speed internet through light over long distances, unlike satellite broadband that Elon Musk’s Starlink uses.

The move into Africa’s market was announced on Monday, March 17 and it signaled; “Alphabet’s renewed push into connectivity solutions after the closure of its Project Loon balloon venture in 2021.”

Taara CEO Mahesh Krishnaswamy said that the company is targeting roughly three billion people globally.

Setting up the stage to go toe-to-toe with Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has amassed over 5 million subscribers across 125 countries, Taara is targeting some 860 million people in Africa who currently go without reliable internet access.

“While still in testing, Taara is operational in 12 countries globally and is now focusing on scaling its operations across Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria,” the report goes on to detail.

Highspeed internet, the new market frontier

The global push for more affordable, high-speed internet solutions has become a priority for multinational tech companies as demand surges. Currently, highspeed internet in Africa relies on fiber-optic infrastructure which remains largely underdeveloped in many regions, limiting access.

“Its expensive and complex deployment, especially in challenging terrains, (especially in Africa) has driven the need for alternative solutions,” reads a report by Taara, adding that the Google affiliate brings an affordable solution to this problem. It functions like an invisible fiber-optic cable in the sky, the report explains.

“Instead of transmitting light through glass fibers, it sends narrow beams of light through the air, achieving speeds up to 20 gigabits per second over distances of up to 20 kilometers,” it details.

According to the report, this method, used by Taara Technology, takes advantage of light’s shorter wavelength than radio waves, allowing it to carry more data at higher speeds.

“However, light-based communication requires line-of-sight connectivity, meaning that obstacles like fog, rain, or buildings can disrupt the signal” the report cautions.

To overcome this downside, Taara has developed advanced AI-driven mirror systems that detect, track, and maintain precise alignment between two connected units, ensuring a stable connection, the report goes on to elaborate.

“We have this sophisticated set of mirrors that searches for this light signal, and the moment they find it, they lock in,” Krishnaswamy explains.

The CEO adds, “the team created a traffic light-sized box to house the laser that could be mounted on a rooftop or cell tower.” He was confident that; “Early deployments have demonstrated the technology’s potential.”

He said in India, Taara was successfully tested on cell towers to connect buildings in urban environments. “While in Africa, it bridged the Congo River in Central Africa, linking Kinshasa and Brazzaville, where traditional sub-river fibre deployment was deemed impractical,” he revealed.

He said Taara expects to work with internet service providers, telecom companies like Liquid Telecoms, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, and governments, to extend connectivity to rural villages, disaster-stricken areas, and regions where traditional infrastructure is not feasible.

The CEO admitted that fibre optic cables remain the backbone of traditional internet networks, however, he emphasized that “…their deployment is often uneconomical in remote or challenging terrains.”

Taara’s ground-based approach offers a potentially more cost-effective alternative to satellite constellations, requiring less energy and avoiding the launch and maintenance costs associated with space-based systems, he elaborated further.

Krishnaswamy further revealed that the Taara team has come up with a solution that requires taking the Taara terminal, which is the size of a traffic light, and shrinking it down to the size of a fingernail.

“Overall, this is meant to reduce the cost of deployment,” he went on to say.

“You could have the small little devices on everybody’s home with no speed breaks anywhere in between, at a fraction of the cost of the terminals, and without the time and challenges of trenching fibre,” the CEO said.

These ground based, complex yet simple to use solutions have the potential to meet key African needs for high speed connectivity that Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites may find hard to beat, price wise at least.

Starlink in Tanzania

Meanwhile, Elon Musk and Starlink through the SpaceX’s satellite internet service, is one step closer to launching operations in Tanzania. According to SpaceinAfrica.com, the company’s local entity, Starlink Satellite Tanzania Limited, has submitted applications for the necessary licenses to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).”

Following the November 15, 2024 public notice that was issued across the country, it can be confirmed that Starlink has applied for national network facilities and application services licenses in Tanzania.

“This development aligns with Starlink’s efforts to provide satellite-based internet services in the country, particularly in regions underserved by traditional internet infrastructure,” reads the report in part.

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