How Lasers Could Replace Undersea Cables & Reshape Global Internet | Rohit Jha - E698

About this episode

Rohit Jha discusses how his startup Transcelestial is revolutionizing internet transmission using laser technology to replace undersea cables.

Rohit Jha , Co-founder and CEO of Transcelestial , joins Jeremy Au to explain how his Singapore-based startup is using laser communications to transmit internet at speeds far beyond what Starlink currently offers, and why that matters for Southeast Asia, global telcos, and the future of deep space. Rohit breaks down how Transcelestial went from building ground-to-ground laser links for 5G towers, with clients like Globe Telecom, Telkomsel, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and NTT Group, to now building an orbital ring of 40 satellites designed to replace undersea cables and host orbital data centres capable of running AI workloads in space. Topics covered include the Transcelestial vs. SpaceX and Starlink distinction, why telcos are a national security asset that will never be sold to a foreign operator, how AI is driving an explosion in internet bandwidth demand, and how a laser link restored connectivity to 50 villages in Taiwan after a typhoon destroyed a fibre-carrying bridge in under two hours. Rohit also shares what it means to be brave, from fighting off knife-wielding robbers in Munich on Christmas Eve to secretly redirecting company capital into a space programme without…

People in this episode

Host: Jeremy Au

Guest: Rohit Jha

Topics covered

• laser communications
• internet technology
• Southeast Asia startups
• telecommunications
• AI and bandwidth demand
• national security
• space technology

Keywords

• laser communications
• Transcelestial
• internet speeds
• Southeast Asia
• telecom
• AI workloads
• satellites
• bandwidth demand
• national security
• 5G technology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Transcelestial, Globe Telecom, Telkomsel, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, NTT Group, SpaceX

Places: Southeast Asia, Taiwan

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