Taara and Liquid Expand Lagos Data Center Connectivity with Light-Beam Technology

Taara, a graduate of X, Google's Moonshot Factory, and a leader in high-speed, high-capacity wireless optical communication, has announced the continued expansion of its collaboration with Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a business unit of Cassava Technologies. The partnership is focused on rapidly scaling data center connectivity in Lagos, Nigeria, using Taara's light-beam technology to complement existing fiber networks.

The collaboration has enabled Liquid to distribute high-capacity bandwidth from its points of presence at Africa Data Centres and other leading data centers in Nigeria to large enterprises, particularly those located beyond the reach of fiber. In dense urban environments, traditional fiber deployment can be costly, time-consuming, and operationally challenging, especially where network outages caused by fiber cuts can take days to restore. Over the past two years, Liquid has deployed nearly a dozen Taara links across Lagos, delivering high-speed connectivity to local enterprises and improving network resilience for internet service providers, banks, hotels, and a utility company.

Nigeria is one of Africa's largest economies, with analysts reporting that the country's economy is growing faster in 2026 than it has in the previous five years. Lagos, as the nation's largest and fastest-growing commercial hub, faces significant infrastructure challenges in expanding network capacity. Wireless optical communication offers operators an additional tool to extend capacity, reach customers faster, and build more resilient networks without compromising performance.

Using highly focused beams of light to transmit data through the air, Taara enables operators to establish links within days rather than weeks, accelerating customer deployments while complementing existing fiber infrastructure. Taara Lightbridge, the company's platform, delivers up to 20 Gbps of capacity across distances of up to 20 kilometers using narrow, invisible beams of light. The platform eliminates the need for trenching, spectrum licensing, or extensive civil works, helping bridge connectivity gaps that might otherwise remain unserved. Currently, Taara Lightbridge is deployed in more than 20 countries with operators including T-Mobile, Airtel, Digicel, Liquid, and SoftBank.

Liquid is now exploring opportunities to expand the use of wireless optical communication into other regions across Nigeria, including Abuja, Ibadan, and Kano. Eugene Uka, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies Nigeria, emphasized the importance of deployment speed: "For Liquid, deployment speed has been one of the most significant advantages. Traditional fiber deployments aren't always a possibility, especially across difficult terrains. Taara links can often be installed and activated within hours, allowing Liquid to ensure it is remaining true to its mission to create a digitally connected future that leaves no African behind."

Bhavesh Mistry, Regional Lead for Taara in Africa, highlighted the broader industry significance: "As demand for connectivity continues to grow, operators need more flexibility in how they expand and reinforce their networks. Fiber remains an essential part of modern communications infrastructure, and will for some time, but there are many situations where deploying fiber quickly or cost-effectively can be difficult. Wireless optical communication gives operators another tool to extend capacity, reach customers faster, and build more resilient networks without compromising performance."

The expansion of this partnership underscores a growing trend among operators to adopt hybrid connectivity strategies, combining fiber with emerging wireless optical solutions to meet rising enterprise demand and enhance network redundancy in challenging environments.