Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa’s Liquid, Taara boost Nigeria’s fiber internet network

Liquid Intelligent Technologies, part of Cassava Technologies owned by Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, is expanding its collaboration with Taara, the wireless optical communications company spun out of Google’s X Moonshot Factory, to strengthen enterprise internet connectivity across Nigeria.

The partnership combines traditional fiber infrastructure with wireless optical communications, allowing high-speed internet links to be deployed rapidly in locations where laying fiber is expensive, difficult or time-consuming. 

Following successful deployments in Lagos, Liquid is evaluating additional expansion across Abuja, Ibadan and Kano as enterprise demand for reliable broadband continues to grow.

Faster deployment supports digital infrastructure

Eugene Uka, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Nigeria, said deployment speed has become one of the company’s biggest competitive advantages.

Traditional fiber installations are not always practical across difficult terrain, he said, while Taara’s wireless optical links can often be installed and activated within hours. The technology enables Liquid to extend high-capacity connectivity more quickly while advancing its goal of improving digital access across Africa.

Bhavesh Mistry, Regional Lead for Taara in Africa, said telecommunications operators increasingly need flexible solutions to expand and reinforce their networks.

While fiber remains the foundation of modern communications infrastructure, wireless optical communication provides operators with another option to extend network capacity, connect customers more quickly and strengthen network resilience without sacrificing performance.

Technology reaches businesses faster

Taara Lightbridge delivers up to 20 Gbps over distances of as much as 20 kilometers using highly focused beams of light instead of fiber cables. Because the system does not require trenching, spectrum licenses or major civil engineering work, operators can deploy high-capacity links significantly faster.

According to the company, Taara Lightbridge operates in more than 20 countries and is used by major operators including T-Mobile, Airtel, Digicel, Liquid Intelligent Technologies and SoftBank to expand broadband coverage across urban, rural and remote markets.

Over the past two years, Liquid Intelligent Technologies has installed nearly a dozen Taara links across Lagos, connecting businesses through Africa Data Centres and other facilities while strengthening network resilience for internet service providers, banks, hotels and a utility company.

Masiyiwa backs Africa’s digital future

Liquid Intelligent Technologies operates under Cassava Technologies, whose digital infrastructure businesses span more than 40 markets across Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Masiyiwa, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at about $2.1 billion, has consistently argued that investment in digital infrastructure is essential to closing Africa’s connectivity gap, accelerating business growth and supporting economic development.

Originally launched within Google’s X Moonshot Factory in 2016 before becoming an independent company in March 2025, Taara uses invisible beams of light to deliver low-latency, high-speed wireless optical communication. 

The technology can transmit up to 25 Gbps across distances of up to 20 kilometers, complementing existing fiber networks by providing a faster alternative where laying or repairing fiber is operationally challenging.