A new Swedish startup, TERASi, has developed a portable, high-speed communications device that presents a direct challenge to the dominance of Elon Musk’s Starlink, particularly in military and critical operations.
The company’s new system, named the RU1, promises “sovereign communications” that cannot be remotely controlled or shut down by external actors—a notable vulnerability that Starlink has faced in Ukraine.
TERASi was spun out of the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. The company’s co-founder and CEO, James Campion, refers to the device as “the GoPro of backhaul radios,” highlighting its compact and portable nature.
The RU1 is designed to be deployed in minutes on tripods or drones to create a self-sufficient, resilient network.
Technical Capacity and Features
The RU1 distinguishes itself from Starlink on several key technical points:
Speed: TERASi claims the RU1 supports data rates of up to 10 Gbps, which it states is 50 times faster than Starlink. The company plans for future versions to reach 20 Gbps, offering a wireless alternative to fiber.
Latency: The device boasts a latency of less than 5 milliseconds, which is over five times faster than Starlink. According to Campion, this low latency is crucial for rapid-response scenarios like drone detection.
Security: The RU1 uses highly focused, “laser-like” mm-Wave radio beams, which are significantly harder to jam or intercept. This is in contrast to Starlink’s lower-frequency radio waves, which Campion argues are “much more interceptable.” The device’s small ground footprint of less than 3 km also enhances its security.
Sovereignty: The primary selling point of the RU1 is that it gives users complete control over their communications. This is a direct response to incidents in Ukraine where Starlink’s service was restricted at crucial moments by its operator, Elon Musk, underscoring the dangers of a private entity controlling military communications.
Prospects and Applications
While currently being evaluated by defense units and integrated into tactical communication systems, TERASi envisions a broader range of applications for the RU1. The device is being marketed for use in various hostile or remote environments where traditional infrastructure is unreliable or non-existent.
In addition to military use, the company sees strong prospects in disaster relief, where the RU1 could provide gigabit links for first responders without the need for satellites or fiber repairs. It could also enable temporary high-capacity networks for remote construction, mining, and energy sites.
While acknowledging that the RU1 may not match Starlink’s global scale, Campion emphasizes its unique strengths: “RU1 gives users control over their data and the freedom to build sovereign networks on-the-fly, changing the frontline paradigm from waiting on infrastructure to creating it instantly, from depending on external actors to self-sufficiency.”
TERASi was founded in 2020 by James Campion (Co-Founder & CEO), Adrian Gomez-Torrent (Co-Founder & CTO), and Bernhard B. (Co-Founder & COO).
James Campion, the CEO, has a background in founding and leading deep-tech startups. The company’s technology builds upon academic research he conducted at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Adrian Gomez-Torrent and Bernhard B. are also co-founders,The company’s technology stems from years of research and development, and the founders have expertise in areas such as RF design, microelectronics, and advanced packaging.
While TERASi is targeting military and defense units for immediate adoption, it envisions broader applications in disaster relief, remote industrial sites, and other challenging environments where resilient, high-speed connectivity is essential.
Starlink’s success has spurred a new space race among companies and even governments aiming to build their own satellite internet constellations. For example, Amazon’s Project Kuiper which is backed by a $10 billion investment, this is arguably Starlink’s most ambitious rival. Amazon plans to deploy a constellation of over 3,200 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide global broadband access. Others are: OneWeb, a UK-based company that has already launched a significant portion of its LEO satellite constellation and China’s SpaceSail, which is backed by the Chinese government, this project aims to deploy a constellation of up to 15,000 LEO satellites by 2030, a move seen as both a commercial and strategic challenge to Starlink’s dominance.