Transcelestial uses laser tech to deliver low‑cost 5G‑grade internet

Transcelestial was founded in 2016 after its co‑founders, Rohit Jha and Mohammad Danesh, discussed using lasers for deep‑space communication and realized they could build an “undersea cable in space” to solve terrestrial connectivity problems. They identified the high cost and slow deployment of fiber‑optic cables as a barrier, especially in regions where people live near fiber but still lack affordable high‑speed internet.

The team developed CENTAURI, a shoebox‑sized device that transmits 10 Gbps over laser links up to three kilometers, consuming power comparable to a light bulb and costing roughly one‑tenth per bit of laying fiber. Manufacturing began in 2021 and the technology has been deployed in ten markets—including India, Indonesia and Australia—across sectors such as defense, telecom, education and oil & gas, proving reliable in humid and rainy conditions.

Deployed shoebox‑sized laser devices delivering 10 Gbps at 1/10 the cost of fiber, now operating in ten markets across Asia‑Pacific.

Fiber‑optic rollout is expensive and slow, leaving many near‑fiber communities without affordable high‑speed internet.

The founders identified laser wireless as a viable alternative after discussing deep‑space laser communication.

They prototyped the CENTAURI device, achieving 10 Gbps over 3 km with shoebox‑size, low power.

Field deployments across defense, telecom, and other sectors proved the technology’s reliability in harsh weather.

Leveraging existing physics can leapfrog costly infrastructure, showing that a modest‑sized hardware innovation can scale globally.

Since 2021, Transcelestial has begun manufacturing CENTAURI units and expanded to ten markets.