Alphabet sells off its laser-based Starlink competitor
Alphabet has made some crazy bets on weird technology over the years. Some of the company’s famous Google X “moonshots” include:
- Life extension biotech
- “Superhuman” hearing
- Powered exoskeletons
- Plant decoders
- Internet drones that could stay aloft for five years
- Swarms of stratospheric internet balloons
The idea behind “moonshots” is that while most ideas might fail, you could end up disrupting an industry. Every once and a while they take off — like with Waymo, the self-driving car company that actually has a fleet of thousands of robotaxis — but most don’t pan out.
The Financial Times is reporting that Alphabet is throwing in the towel on Taara, its long-distance laser-based internet startup. The company is being spun off, with Alphabet keeping a minority stake.
The technology, which transmits high-speed internet via a series of tower-mounted lasers, can span distances of over 12 miles and was touted as an alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite-based internet. For now, it’s being used to extend traditional fiber networks for telecom operators.
The idea behind “moonshots” is that while most ideas might fail, you could end up disrupting an industry. Every once and a while they take off — like with Waymo, the self-driving car company that actually has a fleet of thousands of robotaxis — but most don’t pan out.
The Financial Times is reporting that Alphabet is throwing in the towel on Taara, its long-distance laser-based internet startup. The company is being spun off, with Alphabet keeping a minority stake.
The technology, which transmits high-speed internet via a series of tower-mounted lasers, can span distances of over 12 miles and was touted as an alternative to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite-based internet. For now, it’s being used to extend traditional fiber networks for telecom operators.
