The Philippines’ leading operators, PLDT and Globe Telecom, are moving forward with trials and initial deployments of Taara, a laser internet system developed at Google’s X Moonshot Factory and spun off as an independent Alphabet company in March 2025. The technology, formally known as free-space optical communication (FSO), uses invisible light beams to transmit data across the air instead of relying on underground fiber cables.

Laser internet, sometimes called “fiber without the cables,” uses concentrated light beams as “light bridges” to move data between terminals. Each terminal can cover up to 20 kilometers, and longer connections can be extended by placing terminals in sequence. Taara’s Lightbridge system employs mirrors, sensors, and precision optics with smart software that actively tracks and locks beams between terminals. Once aligned, the system can deliver speeds of up to 20 Gbit/s, offering fiber-like performance while avoiding the high cost and time required to lay cables across rivers, rugged terrain, or island provinces. However, like other optical systems, it is vulnerable to weather conditions such as fog.

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PLDT announced it is preparing to activate three Taara sites: Talim Island in Rizal, Dipaluda in Isabela, and Bagong Pag-asa in Quezon City. On Talim Island, the link spans 11.8 km across Laguna de Bay, connecting the island to the mainland. In Isabela, the system covers a 13-km mountainous stretch where fiber rollout would be costly. In Quezon City, the deployment will serve as an alternative route to address single-point-of-failure (SPOF) risks in its metro network.

Butch Jimenez, PLDT Chief Operating Officer and Head of Network, said:

This is a game changer for us in connecting remote areas. It makes it easier to provide fiber-like internet to new areas. And we’re excited for the people of Talim Island and Dipaluda to enjoy the benefits of FTTH connectivity.

Erick Santiago, PLDT-Smart Head of Network Strategy, added:

We’ve evaluated this technology for over a year. We’re proud of our network team, who made it possible for us to launch this while others are just announcing their testing phase.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom, through its subsidiary, Fiber Infrastructure and Network Services Inc. (FINSI), reported successful results from a pilot run of the Taara system across Laguna Lake. The trial spanned 11 kilometers, with 80% of the connection crossing open water, and achieved 10 Gbit/s wireless optical connectivity. The system was tested under the Enhanced RFC 2544 test suite for throughput, latency, jitter, and frame loss, along with a 24-hour bit error rate test (BERT). Globe confirmed that all results met its technical standards.