Telecommunications giant PLDT Inc. said it is set to activate three laser communication sites in the country to widen connectivity especially in remote areas, further pushing the heated competition among telcos beyond traditional cables.

PLDT said it will harness Taara, a free space optics technology developed by Alphabet Inc.’s “moonshot” technology development arm Google X, to deliver fiber-like connectivity without the need for physical cables.

The telco said Taara uses beams of lights to transmit data across long distances to produce high-speed internet.

PLDT said it will implement the technology in three challenging sites, namely Talim Island in Rizal, Dipaluda in Isabela, and Bagong Pag-asa in Quezon City.

Once online, each site is capable of delivering up to 20 gigabits per second (Gbps), substantially faster than the average speed of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) in the country.

On Talim Island, PLDT said it will leverage laser communication over open water by installing the technology over an 11.8-kilometer stretch across Laguna de Bay, linking the island to the mainland.

Meanwhile, in Dipaluda, the company will bring connectivity across 13 kilometers of mountainous terrain where deploying fiber is costly and a logistical challenge.

Lastly, the laser technology will provide alternative route and resolve single point of failure (SPOF) issues in Bagong Pag-asa.

PLDT-Smart Head of Network Strategy Erick Santiago said the company has been evaluating these sites for over a year and it’s now ready for activation.

“We’re proud of our Network team, who made it possible for us to launch this while others are just announcing their testing phase,” said Santiago.

Santiago is referring to PLDT’s rival Globe Telecom Inc., which announced last week that it completed a trial of the free space optics technology across Laguna Lake.

Also using Taara, Globe said the test showed that the technology can produce connection of up to 10 Gbps.

For Globe, testing the service’s potential opens the door to a scalable wireless backhaul solution that can be rapidly deployed to close connectivity gaps.

While PLDT said its upcoming launch will mark the telco’s broader plan to explore laser-based connectivity as a complement to its nationwide fiber network.

“With Taara, PLDT strengthens its leadership in digital inclusion, ensuring that more Filipinos—even in the most remote areas—can access reliable, high-speed internet,” it said.