Google moonshot factory X graduate Taara [1.] is launching Lightbridge Pro, a wireless optical communications system designed to deliver 99.999% (“five nines”) carrier-grade uptime for 20 Gbps backhaul, addressing weather-related reliability issues in Free Space Optical Communication (FSOC).

Lightbridge Pro is designed for seamless integration into carrier-grade networks, including mobile backhaul and mission-critical infrastructure.  By integrating intelligent optical switching directly into the hardware, it automatically reroutes traffic to fiber or RF backups during, for example, heavy fog or rain.

Note 1.  Tara says that for the last eight years, they have been developing novel technology that uses beams of light to deliver high-speed, secure connectivity where fiber and wireless can’t – bringing abundant access to everyone, everywhere.

“As demand for data soars, existing connectivity solutions are reaching their limits. What if we could harness the power of light to deliver a better, faster, more efficient connection, without the need for cables?” Mahesh Krishnaswamy, Founder and CEO.

Key Features and Impact:

Carrier-Grade Reliability: Lightbridge Pro is purpose-built for high-availability requirements of 5G mobile backhaul,, and city-wide network providers.

Intelligent Switching: The system ensures seamless, near-instantaneous, switching between optical and backup connections (like RF) to maintain continuity.

Performance: It delivers up to 20 Gbps full-duplex capacity, bridging gaps where fiber installation is too costly or difficult.

Global Application: Already deployed in over 20 countries, the technology is used in dense urban, rural, and disaster recovery scenarios.

Operational Efficiency: The system includes comprehensive Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security (FCAPS) management, suitable for integration with existing Operations and Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS).

Deployment and Use Cases:  Tara’s platform is aimed at large-scale network operators and mission-critical communications, particularly in dense urban environments or rough terrain where laying fiber is not economically viable.

Current Partners: Taara Lightbridge is already deployed in more than 20 countries, from dense urban cores to remote terrain to disaster recovery scenarios.  Carriers already using Taara’s technology include Airtel, T-Mobile, SoftBank, Digicel, and Liquid Intelligent Technologies.  T-Mobile previously deployed Taara units for high-capacity backhaul at Coachella and the Albuquerque Balloon Festival.

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Taara is showcasing these new solutions at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026 where the start-up will also be announcing a new photonics-based wireless optical system designed for even greater density and scalability.

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Editor’s Analysis:

Taara’s Lightbridge Pro looks like a serious, carrier-minded evolution of free-space optics (FSO) for 5G backhaul, but its real value will hinge on how well the “five nines” claim holds up under diverse atmospheric and operational conditions in the field.

Risks and open questions:

• SLA realism: “Five nines” across mixed optical/RF paths is a strong claim; operators will want multi-year availability data by climate region, plus clear modeling of residual outage during extreme events where both optical and RF paths can degrade.

• Operational complexity: Even with integrated switching and FCAPS, adding a new transport technology introduces planning, monitoring, and skillset overhead versus staying on homogeneous fiber/microwave.

• Regulatory and spectrum: Where RF is the backup, spectrum licensing, interference management, and coordination with existing microwave/E‑band layers will affect total cost and deployment speed, and those aspects are not detailed in the product material.

Overall assessment:

For 5G mobile backhaul, Lightbridge Pro is best viewed as a targeted tool for high-value, hard-to-fiber routes, and for rapid-capacity or temporary deployments, rather than a universal replacement for fiber or microwave. If Taara’s integrated protection switching performs as advertised at scale, it meaningfully advances FSO from “interesting niche” to a credible part of a multi-layer transport strategy for carriers and city-scale operators.

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References:

https://www.taaraconnect.com/post/introducing-lightbridge-pro#

https://www.taaraconnect.com/product/lightbridge-pro

https://www.taaraconnect.com/about

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