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

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 telling the board. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/rohit-jha-global-internet-lasers Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at https://www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter X : https://x.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts #Singapore #Technology #SpaceTech #Podcast #US #Taiwan #Philippines #Indonesia #Malaysia #Vietnam #southeastasia #techpodcast 00:00 Anyone Who Is Not SpaceX Is Signing Us Up 00:30 Welcome to BRAVE and Rohit Jha Introduction 01:30 What Is Transcelestial? Laser Internet and the Orbital Ring Explained 02:01 From Entrepreneur First to a Deep Space Vision 03:40 From NTU Engineering to Investment Banking and the Internet Revelation 05:25 Product Market Fit: Solving Today's Problems to Fund the Future 06:00 Telco Partnerships: Globe Telecom, Telkomsel, T-Mobile, AT&T and NTT Group 07:20 Transcelestial vs. SpaceX and Starlink: Competitive or Synergistic? 09:55 The Orbital Ring: 40 Satellites Replacing Undersea Cables 10:20 Orbital Data Centres and Running AI Workloads in Space 14:55 Will Starlink Kill the Traditional Telco? 17:18 AI Latency: Why Routing via Low-Earth Orbit Beats Undersea Cables 19:45 Geopolitical Neutrality and the Multi-Vendor Imperative 23:25 Typhoon in Taiwan: Laser Link Restores Internet to 50 Villages in Two Hours 26:15 Personal Bravery: Armed Robbery in Munich on Christmas Eve 27:35 Business Bravery: Secretly Funding the Space Division Without Board Approval 29:57 Purpose and Why Having a Mission Changes the Risks You Take 30:37 Key Takeaways and Closing