X Taara: the 200 Best Inventions of 2024

Worldwide, 2.6 billion people don’t have an internet connection. The mission of Taara, which sits within X, Alphabet’s moonshot factory, is to bridge that gap. Taara uses beams of light to transmit data between small terminals, offering an alternative to traditional fiber optic cables in places where installing ground-based systems is tricky. The beams can reach over 20 kilometers, delivering speeds up to 20 gigabits per second. The tech has been installed in 13 countries, including India, Kenya, Fiji, and even the U.S. (in rural areas and at events like Coachella). Most recently, in Ghana, 20,000 new users and 320 businesses have come online thanks to Taara. “Think of it like fiber, but without having to run any fiber—it’s just over the air,” says Mahesh Krishnaswamy, general manager of the project.

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