“This is a game-changer for us in connecting remote areas,” said Menardo “Butch” Jimenez Jr., PLDT chief operating officer and head of network.
“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,” he added.
The first three sites are in Talim Island in Rizal, Dipaluda in Isabela, and Bagong Pag-asa in Quezon City, tackling some of the toughest terrain in the country.
The technology, called Taara and developed by Google’s X Moonshot Factory, uses beams of light to transmit data over long distances and can deliver up to 20 Gbps per site.
The rollout avoids multimillion-peso costs of laying fiber underwater in Talim and across rugged terrain in Dipaluda. Jimenez said this innovation strengthens PLDT’s leadership in digital inclusion by bringing high-speed connectivity even to isolated communities.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
