Alphabet X has revealed that the firm’s Project Taara had successfully developed a way to transmit high-speed Internet through the air via the Congo River using light beams.

The problems resolve a “particularly stubborn connectivity gap” between the two African countries involved, Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to the team at X, the technology uses very narrow, invisible beams of light to deliver high speeds, just as the traditional fibre in the ground uses light to transport data.

Alphabet X is currently working with Econet Group and Liquid Telecom to bring high-speed internet to sub-Saharan Africa.

These wireless optical communications (WOC) have been in the works for three years and will deliver nearly 700 terabytes of data in 20 days, with 99.9% availability. The team points out that the technology will not provide full reliability in difficult conditions such as fog, haze or situations where birds fly in front of the signal.

For more information, read the original story on the BBC.