Can laser technology transcend fiber? This startup thinks so

What if you could deliver a connection that's as fast as fiber broadband but without the hassle and cost that comes with actually building fiber? Transcelestial, a Singapore-based startup, has a device that uses laser beams to transmit data between two end points, without the need for underground fiber infrastructure. The company's CENTAURI device, which comes in flavors of 10G and 25G, can “stabilize these laser beams over large distances” while taking into account various weather conditions. That ability caught the eye of a major operator. T-Mobile took Transcelestial’s laser tech out for a spin at the 2024 Coachella music festival—marking the carrier’s first public disclosure of deploying laser communications for 5G at a large-scale event.