Telecommunications giant Globe Telecom Inc. has successfully completed a field trial of a long-range free space optics (FSO) technology, which is seen to expand connectivity to remote areas where difficult terrain hinders fiber rollout.

In partnership with Google X’s Taara, Globe said it conducted the trial over an 11-kilometer (km) aerial distance across Laguna Lake, with 80 percent of the link spanning over open water.

The telco said the test yielded positive results, with the FSO technology producing high-speed connectivity of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), significantly faster than the country’s average speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps).

Globe said FSO technology, such as Taara, uses highly focused beams of light to produce high-speed wireless connectivity.

Since traditional network infrastructure would be a challenge over Laguna Lake, the test shows that FSO offers a viable solution for areas where deploying fiber cables is impractical.

Gerhard Tan, senior director and head of technology strategy and innovations at Globe, said the company is always on the lookout for future-ready and cost-effective solutions to broaden access to fast and reliable internet.

“This pilot opens doors to a reliable and scalable wireless backhaul solution that can be rapidly deployed and help close connectivity gaps, especially in island and remote areas,” he said.

To conduct the trial, Globe also partnered with Fiber Infrastructure and Network Services Inc. (FINSI), a subsidiary of Globe Group’s Asticom Group of Companies.

FINSI, an engineering services company, enabled the deployment and validation of the Taara system for the test.

Following the successful test, Globe said it will continue to set the standard for innovation in the country’s telco industry to enable more inclusive digital access nationwide.

Last month, the company also completed a trial that tested the feasibility of a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite in expanding communications to off-grid areas.

The test would confirm that a standard mobile phone can make calls using LEO satellites, representing the strong potential of satellite connectivity to close coverage gaps in geographically isolated, underserved, and disaster-prone communities.

Globe is planning to soon test voice over LTE (VoLTE) over satellite to determine if it will yield improved efficiency and call clarity.

As part of its commitment to bring connectivity to far-flung areas, Globe aims to build 100 new cell sites in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), potentially raising its total to 700.

For this year, Globe is planning to keep its capital expenditures (capex) below $1 billion.

In the first half, it decreased its capex to ₱18.9 billion from ₱28.3 billion last year as part of ongoing efforts to optimize capital deployment.