Bharti Airtel‘s plans to use Google parent Alphabet’s laser internet technology, Taara, to support its 4G and 5G operations in India has hit an air pocket.
The Sunil Mittal-led telecom operator is not convinced about the effectiveness of using Taara as a wireless backhaul technology commercially in India, two people aware of the matter said.
This is because ongoing field trials have indicated that the tech, which uses light beams to deliver fast broadband, may not work efficiently in inclement weather in rural and hard-to-reach places, Economic Times reported.
That could affect the mobile broadband experience for 4G/5G users. Airtel insiders believe more extensive joint field trials are required to assess the technical and commercial viability of the tech.
Taara’s laser Internet technology was developed at Alphabet’s California innovation lab, called X. “We are not able to comment on Airtel’s deployment of Taara’s technology,” an X spokeswoman wrote in response to ET’s queries.
An Airtel spokesperson told ET: “Project Taara is currently being tested jointly with Alphabet in multiple geographies across different weather cycles to assess feasibility in offering connectivity to fiber-dark areas.”
Madras HC halts release of ‘Akhanda 2’ in major relief for Eros International
Kevin Vaz highlights India’s content surge at Asia TV Forum 2025
Gaurav Gandhi honored as M&E visionary at CII Summit 2025
Ministry of Tourism signs MoU with Netflix to showcase India’s destinations globally
GTPL Hathway unveils ‘GTPL Infinity’, new satellite-based HITS platform
Prime Video’s Nikhil Madhok calls for homegrown superhero in Indian streaming
Prime Video drops new posters for ‘Spider-Noir’ series
ShemarooMe rolls out 10-day ‘Gujju Film Fest’
Gracenote unveils new CTV ad platform to enable precise program-level targeting
TPL signs multi-year streaming deal with JioHotstar to boost digital reach 


