Internet at the Speed of Light

Click Here Podcast – Recorded Future News
Host: Dina Temple-Raston
Guest: Mahesh Krishnaswamy (Founder, Terra)
Date: March 27, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dina Temple-Raston profiles Mahesh Krishnaswamy, an engineer and entrepreneur on a mission to bring high-speed Internet access to underserved communities—not with traditional cables, but with beams of laser light. The episode explores the persistent digital divide, the technical and personal story behind breakthrough "free space optics" technology, and its potential to radically change how the world gets online.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Digital Divide in the U.S. and Beyond

• Even in 2026, "nearly a third of rural Americans still don't have broadband at home" (00:42)
• The issue isn’t just about access to Internet, but rethinking how it is physically delivered (00:56)
• Globally, about a third of the planet remains offline—almost 3 billion people (14:24)

Mahesh Krishnaswamy’s Early Inspiration

• Grew up in Chennai, India and first experienced the Internet as a teenager at an Internet café with slow connections (04:33)

“I have to save a lot of money to get a seat at this Internet cafe and get online using a very slow modem with all the funny noise of getting online.” – Mahesh Krishnaswamy (04:33)

• Used the limited Internet access for education, broadening horizons, and eventually moving to the U.S. for college (04:52-05:25)
• Adversity, such as lost luggage (and no winter coat) upon arrival in the US, fostered perseverance and entrepreneurship (05:40)

Project Loon—A Precursor

• Worked at Google X on Project Loon, which used stratospheric balloons to provide connectivity (06:15)
• Balloons acted like "floating cell towers" using free space optics—sending data through beams of light (06:34)

"It's like a floating cell tower." – Mahesh Krishnaswamy (06:34)

• Inspired by recurring connectivity struggles during visits to India (07:20)
• Challenged by his father: “If you really are so passionate about this, why don’t you do something about it?” (07:28)

The Genesis of Terra

• Idea: Take the laser technology from the balloons and bring it down to Earth to beam Internet between ground-based terminals (07:50)
• Terra uses beams of light to transmit high-speed data at fiber-optic speeds—without digging trenches (08:07)

"We use beams of light to transmit very high speed data from one point to the other...fiber optic speed, without digging fiber." – Mahesh Krishnaswamy (08:07)

• Mahesh was initially skeptical: “It was a pretty dumb idea, I thought at the time, until I actually started to deploy some of these.” (08:25)

Proof of Concept—An Unexpected Opportunity

• During a 2016 conference in India with the chief minister, a fiber-cut caused an Internet outage (12:21)
• Mahesh's team restored connectivity by beaming Internet across a river via laser—live demonstration (12:50)
• Created a "proof of concept" for Terra's technology (13:07)

How the Technology Works

• Terra terminals (devices the size of traffic lights) are mounted on towers with line-of-sight; terminals automatically align and transmit via laser beams (13:07–13:42)

"They just need to be within watching distance… then the terminals lock onto each other the moment they see each other." – Mahesh Krishnaswamy (13:32)

Real-World Deployments and Challenges

• Used in post-disaster Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to rapidly restore Internet in areas with destroyed infrastructure (14:01)
• Connected two countries across the Congo River "in just a matter of a few days.” (14:18)
• COVID-19 highlighted domestic connectivity gaps, and Terra began addressing needs in the U.S. as well (14:24)
• Technical hurdles: Weather (especially fog) and wind can disrupt the beams (15:13–15:23)

“Anything that disperses light will scatter the beam. So especially if you’re going long distances, then it’s very difficult to close the links.” – Mahesh Krishnaswamy (15:13)

• Rapid improvements with each field deployment; big clients include T-Mobile, the Coachella music festival, and Google (15:23–16:03)

A Transformative Case: Selah, Washington

• In 2025, the city with rocky terrain unreachable by cables tried Terra; access stabilized and expanded quickly (16:03–16:33)

"Seeing it in live action, serving all of these users was phenomenal. It was actually very reassuring and a testament to the work that we've been doing and what we do." – Mahesh Krishnaswamy (16:33)

Regulatory Shifts and the Future

• The U.S. “Bead” broadband program changed to become “tech neutral”—no longer prioritizing fiber, opening room for new approaches like Terra’s (16:49)
• Mahesh sees regulatory neutrality as an opportunity for diverse, cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly solutions (17:19)

“You need to be able to find the most cost efficient, environmentally least disruptive solution to get the job done. And I believe that Terra has a very significant role to play.” – Mahesh Krishnaswamy (17:19)

The Personal Mission

• Mahesh remains driven by his experience and his father’s challenge; he feels the pursuit isn’t over (17:34–18:26)

"I haven't solved this completely. So that remains a dream and that remains the pursuit that I'm on." – Mahesh Krishnaswamy (18:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I'd love to find a way to get everybody access to very high speed, affordable Internet. Almost like the air that we breathe." – Mahesh Krishnaswamy (01:32)
• “Fiber, satellites, lasers, different paths to the same connection. And if Mahesh is right. The next time the Internet reaches somewhere new, it might arrive on a beam of light.” – Dina Temple Raston (18:26)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:42 — The U.S. digital divide
• 01:32 — Mahesh’s dream for universal Internet access
• 04:33–05:25 — Mahesh’s formative Internet experience in India
• 06:15–07:20 — Project Loon and the idea’s origins
• 07:50–08:25 — Seeding the Terra concept
• 12:21–13:07 — Accidental proof of concept at India conference
• 14:01–14:18 — Post-disaster deployments in Puerto Rico and Africa
• 15:13–15:23 — Technical challenges and improvements
• 16:03–16:33 — Selah, Washington case study
• 16:49–17:34 — Regulatory changes and future vision
• 17:55–18:26 — The personal journey—and unfinished business

Tone & Style

The episode balances technical curiosity with personal narrative—both Mahesh and host Dina Temple-Raston speak with warmth and conviction, making engineering concepts approachable and emphasizing the human impact and mission behind Terra’s work.

This episode is a compelling look at how one person’s childhood longing for information led to a moonshot solution with the potential to close the global digital divide with laser speed—literally.