MANILA, Philippines – PLDT Inc., led by tycoon Manuel Pangilinan, will activate the country’s first laser-based internet to provide fiber-like speed to remote areas, without investing in cable infrastructure.
On Monday, the telco giant said that Google Taara laser technology uses beams of light to transmit data across long distances, with each communication site powerful enough to deliver up to 20 gigabits per second of capacity.
READ: PLDT core income hits P17.6B in H1
The initial three communication sites are on Talim Island in Rizal, Dipaluda in Isabela and Bagong Pag-asa in Quezon City.
With this technology, PLDT said the Talim Island would be connected to the mainland, skipping undersea cables.
Choosing the laser technology for Dipaluda was also practical amid challenges in rolling out cables in mountainous terrain.
According to the group, aside from providing high-speed internet access, Taara “presents significant cost savings compared to traditional infrastructure,” which usually reach millions of dollars.
Butch Jimenez, PLDT chief operating officer and head of network, said tapping the technology after more than a year of assessment was “a game-changer” in the group’s target to cover more areas across the Philippines.
“It makes it easier to provide fiber-like internet to new areas,” Jimenez said in a statement.
The company intends to invest more in this technology to complement its fiber network, particularly for deployment in locations like islands, lakesides and challenging terrain villages.
In the first six months of 2025, PLDT’s capital spending amounted to P27.4 billion.
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It ended the semester with 3.53 million fiber subscribers and 41.6 million active data customers.
The group’s core income inched up by 1 percent to P17.6 billion from the first semester a year ago. Consolidated service revenues also reached P97.1 billion, with data and broadband accounting for 85 percent. INQ
