Liquid expands high-speed connectivity in Nigeria

Google’s Moonshot Factory and Taara, a provider of high-speed, high-capacity wireless optical communication solutions, have announced the continuation of their collaboration with Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a Cassava Technologies business and global technology company

The partnership is helping Liquid extend high-capacity connectivity from its points of presence at Africa Data Centres and other major data centre facilities in Nigeria to large enterprises located beyond the reach of fibre networks. The approach is particularly valuable in locations where conventional fibre deployment can be expensive, slow or difficult to implement, as well as in areas vulnerable to network disruptions caused by fibre cuts that can require days to repair.

During the past two years, Liquid has installed almost a dozen Taara links across Lagos. These deployments have enabled the company to provide high-speed connectivity to major local enterprises while strengthening network resilience in important commercial districts. Customers supported by the deployments include internet service providers, banks, hotels and a utility company.

Nigeria remains one of Africa’s largest economies, with analysts reporting that its economy is growing faster in 2026 than during any of the previous five years. Lagos, the nation’s largest commercial centre and one of its fastest-growing business hubs, faces challenges in expanding telecommunications infrastructure because of its increasingly dense urban environment.

As enterprise demand for reliable connectivity rises, network operators are turning to a combination of technologies to expand coverage and create additional redundancy. Liquid is leveraging Taara’s wireless optical communication capabilities to extend connectivity into areas where conventional infrastructure can be more difficult to deploy.

Taara uses tightly directed beams of light to transmit data wirelessly, allowing operators to establish high-capacity connections in a significantly shorter timeframe than conventional fibre deployments. Links can be deployed within days rather than weeks, enabling faster customer connections while working alongside existing fibre infrastructure. Liquid is also assessing opportunities to extend the technology to other Nigerian markets, including Abuja, Ibadan and Kano.

“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,” said Eugene Uka, Acting Chief Executive Officer at Liquid Intelligent Technologies Nigeria.

“As demand for connectivity continues to grow, operators need more flexibility in how they expand and reinforce their networks,” said Bhavesh Mistry, Regional Lead for Taara in Africa. “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.”

Taara Lightbridge provides an alternative between fibre infrastructure and conventional radio-frequency technologies. It can deliver capacity of up to 20 Gbps over distances reaching 20 kilometres through narrow, invisible light beams.

The technology allows network operators to establish high-capacity wireless links without the need for trenching, spectrum licensing or extensive civil engineering. This enables connectivity providers to address coverage gaps that could otherwise remain difficult or uneconomical to serve.

Taara Lightbridge has now been deployed across more than 20 countries by operators including T-Mobile, Airtel, Digicel, Liquid and SoftBank. Its deployments are supporting the expansion and reinforcement of network capacity across a range of environments, from densely populated cities and rural communities to remote and challenging locations.