Alphabet’s Starlink competitor Taara is spinning off into an independent company

Alphabet is spinning off its laser-based internet company Taara from its moonshot incubator X, allowing it to operate independently. Taara uses light beams to provide high-bandwidth internet and phone services to hard-to-reach areas, competing with Elon Musk's Starlink network of satellites. The company has secured backing from Series X Capital and will retain a minority stake from Alphabet, although seed funding details and financial targets remain undisclosed. Taara currently operates in 12 countries and has provided supplemental service during events like Coachella. The technology works by firing beams of light to and from terminals, transmitting data at 20 gigabits per second over an area of around 12 miles. Taara originated from Alphabet's concept Loon, which used balloons floating on the edge of space but was wound down in 2021 due to regulatory hurdles. The company is now focusing on developing a silicon photonic chip to eliminate the need for mirrors and lenses on system terminals. Taara has a long way to go to catch up to Starlink, which has over four million subscribers worldwide. Unlike Starlink, Taara doesn't sell subscriptions directly to consumers, instead partnering with existing telecommunication companies to extend their networks to remote locations. With two dozen staff members and aggressive hiring, Taara is poised to scale faster as an independent entity.