Residents of Barangay Subay on Talim Island in Cardona, Rizal are experiencing faster internet after PLDT deployed Google Taara’s “air laser” technology across Laguna de Bay.
The system creates an 11.8-kilometer link that uses light to transmit data between two points. Instead of laying underwater fiber cables, the technology beams connectivity across the lake, delivering fiber-like speeds to remote lakeside communities.
“Our deployment of Google Taara air laser technology here in Talim Island demonstrates how innovation can break through the physical barriers that have long limited connectivity in an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, particularly for remote and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs),” said Eric Santiago, head of network strategy and architecture at PLDT and Smart.
PLDT said the deployment is the first Google Taara air laser site in the country. The project aims to improve access in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, or GIDAs, including island barangays that are difficult to connect through traditional infrastructure.
“This solution allows us to deploy faster, at lower cost, with high-capacity links that can also serve as a resilient backup to existing networks. More importantly, it enables PLDT fiber to reach communities that are traditionally difficult to serve, bringing reliable digital access to the most remote and disadvantaged areas and advancing our mission to connect every Filipino to opportunity, essential services, and the digital economy,” Santiago said.
At Subay Elementary School, teachers said the improved connectivity has changed how they conduct classes.
Renelyn Antonil, who has taught English and Science at the school for 25 years, said unreliable internet previously made it hard to access materials and communicate.
“We couldn’t search online about our lessons, and we couldn’t communicate that well, too,” she said.
With stable, high-speed access, Antonil said she can now use online platforms to support classroom discussions.
“For example, we can now go on YouTube to get additional information and material for our students. That way, our lessons are more exciting. I have noticed that the students are more attentive now, compared to when we were just using manila paper,” she said.
Barangay officials also reported improvements in service delivery.
Luisito Ditablan, barangay secretary of Subay, recalled when most processes were done manually.
“We used to do everything manually here, I remember when we still used typewriters,” Ditablan said. “But the pandemic changed everything. We had regular Zoom meetings. We had to transmit our reports online. Because of these new requirements, stable connectivity became a must.”
He said transactions that once took weeks can now be completed in minutes.
“Our processes used to be slow. Now, everything’s just a click away, barangay clearances, residency certificates, just a few clicks, and it’s done. What used to take weeks can now be finished faster, at times even in under three to five minutes,” he said.
For school principal Johnie Olorvida, who travels daily by motorbike and boat from Angono to Talim Island, stable connectivity has also made administrative work easier.
“Without reliable connectivity, you can’t download files immediately and you can’t edit them right away,” he said. “During online meetings, you can’t hear, you can’t speak, sometimes you even disappear. That happens every so often during typhoons.”
He said the improved signal now allows him to stay connected even while traveling across the lake for meetings.