Internet provider Taara has opened the door to non-traditional internet solutions in remote and disconnected areas in a way that could seriously question Starlink’s former dominance. Transferring data via a beam of light, this newly dubbed Taara Beam is capable of 25Gbps speeds, and while it can’t cover everything Starlink does, it does surpass it in some key areas.
What is the Taara Beam?
The Taara system is essentially a transmitter that uses a beam of light instead of radio waves or a cable to transmit data. One end is hooked into existing wired infrastructure, and the other end is found somewhere that wired infrastructure cannot reach. If placed in high areas like roofs or some kind of towers, this can link over areas like lakes, or up to the side of mountains. It’s similar to a spotlight or lighthouse, only with a much thinner and invisible beam.
While not a perfect solution for all users in all situations, this tech could do great things for users who are unable to seek alternative internet connection methods. Specifically, it could be far superior to its main use-case competitor of Starlink, at least in some situations.
Source: Pixabay
Taara Beam or Starlink?
The usefulness of one of these systems over the other depends on several factors, the most important of which is line of sight. The Taara beam needs an unobstructed line of sight between the two static connection points. Starlink, on the other hand, requires a broad line of sight into the sky to connect to whichever moving satellites are currently overhead.
In real-world terms, these can both be flawed, even in non-demanding use cases. For an illustration of this, let’s consider two ends of the usage spectrum here. For the first, we’ll look at highly demanding internet uses like transmitting a huge amount of backup data from video processing in a program like Adobe Premiere.
For the second example, we’ll look at far less-demanding and more data-efficient uses, like playing internet bingo UK games. These titles, like Mystic Meg and Irish Coins, can function perfectly even on older 3G mobile connections or slow cabled connections, so their demands on platforms like the Taara beam or Starlink are very different.
For the Taara beam, a properly connected system would be able to handle both the casino games and the video file transmissions equally well. This system could work much better than Starlink, too, thanks to higher possible speeds.
Starlink could face issues with both levels of demand, thanks to its constant need to acquire new satellites for data transmission. While low speeds wouldn’t affect the experience of casino games directly, they would affect video transmission speeds.
The ultimate determinant would come from when a system can be used, and how often it can be expected to disconnect. Bad weather affects both units, from the radio waves of Starlink to the light beams of Taara. Starlink could be generally more available in remote locations since it doesn’t require another unit connected to a hardline. On the other hand, Starlink’s tracking and requirement of a larger sky would make it less reliable overall.
Source: Pixabay
While the Taara system isn’t yet as available as Starlink, early success has shown it’s likely just a matter of time before it becomes a serious competitor. Until then, users in remote locations might want to consider the benefits and requirements of both to determine which could be a better choice in the future.
