lol. I'll be dead. I don't want to wait and see. But here are my 2 cents.
Who is in Mars that we need to communicate with? Darth Vader?
Light maybe 40% faster in vacuum but to go up to outer space and back has 2 factors to consider: latency and weather.
Finally, based on Shannon–Hartley theorem, bandwidth is limited to megabits for satellite transmissions. So, I am not sure if he knows what he is talking about. Powerful light beams? That is also subject to weather and clouds. It needs clear line of sight.
All I'd say is good luck. I won't be around if it ever happens at all, for sure.
Edit: One more thing. Bandwidth spectrum is a limited commodity.