Google-PLDT “Air Laser” Collab Beams Instant Progress to Island Barangays

Residents of a barangay located on Talim Island off Rizal are already reaping the benefits of air laser technology deployed by PLDT and Google Taara last year.

Months after PLDT installed the country’s first Google Taara air laser sites in the town, teachers and barangay workers of Brgy. Subay in Cardona, Rizal has been able to harness high-speed connectivity to enhance classroom experiences with online materials, as well as deliver government services more efficiently.

Taara’s air laser uses light to beam data across long distances. On Talim Island, the system spans an 11.8-kilometer link across Laguna de Bay, delivering fiber-like internet speeds without the need for underwater cables and providing a vital boost for remote lakeside communities like Talim.

“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),” according to PLDT and Smart Head of Network Strategy and Architecture Eric Santiago.

“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.”

Where better connectivity means more engaged learners

Longtime educator Renelyn A. Antonil, 50, an English and Science teacher in Subay Elementary School for the past 25 years, has seen the impact of better connectivity firsthand -- right inside the classroom.

She recalled how the lack of reliable connectivity before made teaching difficult and frustrating: “We couldn’t search online about our lessons, and we couldn’t communicate that well, too,” she said.

However, with the fiber-like connectivity, she immediately noticed the impact on both her work and her students. “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.”

Faster barangay services -- ‘from weeks to minutes.’

Subay barangay secretary Luisito Ditablan can also attest to how enhanced connectivity has helped the barangay deliver government services more efficiently, especially during the pandemic.

“We used to do everything manually here—I remember when we still used typewriters,” Ditablan recalled. “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.”

Today, fiber-like connectivity lets the barangay do much more for its residents. “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.

Connectivity that follows him over land and over water

Reliable connectivity is also critical for Subay Elementary School principal Johnie Olorvida, who travels daily to the island—via motorbike and boat—from his home in Angono.

“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.”

Enhanced connectivity has offered a fix for these concerns. “These days, I’m connected whenever I go around the school, even when I go out,” he said. “Once, I had an online meeting, and I stayed connected throughout my walk to the boat, and even while the boat was crossing the lake, until I arrived at the port,” added Olorvida, a longtime Smart Prepaid subscriber.

In addition to the teachers and the students, Olorvida also noted that the school’s non-teaching personnel have also been able to benefit from better connectivity. “Our school clerks can now accomplish their reports and submit them faster.”

Harnessing new technologies to bridge the connectivity gap

PLDT’s investments in innovation to enhance its network are aligned with the Group's broader thrust to deliver leveled-up services to customers nationwide. It also supports PLDT and Smart's commitment to national development through strategic partnerships that bridge the digital divide, expand digital access, and enhance the delivery of essential services, such as education.

This also contributes to the PLDT Group’s endeavors to help the country achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), including SDG 4 - Quality Education, SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, and SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities.