Swedish spinout TERASi launches world’s smallest and lightest mm-wave radio for mission-critical operations in defence, disaster relief, and off-grid industries
Stockholm, Sweden, August 21 2025- Stockholm-based startup TERASi(www.terasi.io), manufacturers of ultra-compact solutions for the next generation of secure gigabit-speed technology, including 6G and beyond, today unveils the RU1- the world’s smallest ultra-compact radio with military-grade security, designed for rapid deployment and physically secure communications.
Redefining Tactical Connectivity
Operational teams in hostile or remote environments – such as military forces, disaster relief units, and off-grid industries like mining and forestry – often struggle with traditional communications infrastructure. High-demand scenarios like military operations or the re-establishment of communications for emergency responders face slow and cumbersome deployments, high costs, vulnerability to interception and jamming (due to a reliance on conventional microwave signals). Inadequate bandwidth has always been a challenge for intensive tasks such as high-resolution video streaming (crucial to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions) or real-time sensor data (essential for AI systems including autonomous machinery and weaponry). These challenges are compounded by the fact that connectivity is entirely at the mercy of external operators and service providers (Ukraine being over reliant on Elon Musk’s Starlink in the current conflict).
This breakthrough from TERASi, a spinout of Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology, overcomes these limitations by using ultra-compact, mm-wave radios that operate above 60 GHz. The hardware uses highly focused laser-like beams on a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum that are impossible to intercept or jam. Most significantly, the RU1 uses TERASi’s patented Aircore technology, making the components drastically more efficient than typical designs, allowing the radio to be up to 40 times smaller and up to 100 times lighterthan nearest-in-class products. Deployable in minutes on tripods or drones, these units create sovereign, gigabit-speed wireless backbones that are up to 50 times faster than satellites, delivering unmatched speed, security, and flexibility in rapidly changing environments. Adaptability is a cornerstone of TERASI’s design and engineering ethos.
The Risk of Over Reliance on Commercial Networks
In September 2022, Elon Musk’s decision to cut Starlink coverage during a key Ukrainian counteroffensive disrupted drone surveillance and targeting, exposing the danger of relying on commercial satellites for military operations. Additionally, systems such as Starlink and Amazon Kuiper provide insufficient speeds (between 200 Mbps) for intensive tasks. TERASi provides a secure, sovereign alternative that cannot be remotely disabled or controlled by external actors. Its technology ensures uninterrupted, high-speed communications for critical military, disaster-relief and industrial operations.
Manufactured and designed entirely in Stockholm, the small size and low power consumption of the RU1 enables off-grid, battery-operated use, eliminating the need to dig trenches or lay power lines. The RU1 can even be deployed on drones allowing for mobile, flexible networks that can cover difficult terrain or disaster zones quickly, with focused signals reducing the risk of detection. Compared to fixed infrastructure requiring large towers and extensive site preparation, the size and cost of network installations is dramatically reduced, significantly lowering total cost of ownership for defence forces and in industries such as construction and mining.
For security and surveillance applications, TERASi’s high-capacity links enable real-time fusion of sensor data and large volumes of video feeds without the need for expensive edge processing. This supports centralised monitoring using advanced AI detection models that are faster, more accurate, and more cost-effective. The ability to relocate radio and camera units easily provides operational flexibility without reliance on fixed installations.
James Campion, CEO and Co-founder of TERASi: “With the RU1, we’ve created the GoPro of backhaul radios. We’ve taken what used to be a bulky, immobile piece of infrastructure and shrunk it down into something you can hold in the palm of your hand. In a world where geopolitical events can cut off access to commercial communication networks without warning, the need for sovereign, independent connectivity has never been greater. Our mission is to give defence forces, disaster response teams, and critical industries the ability to create secure, high-capacity networks instantly, anywhere in the world, without relying on satellites or fixed infrastructure. The RU1 proves that size and mobility do not have to come at the expense of performance or security.”
Photo courtesy TERASi