Globe Telecom Inc. and its engineering arm Fiber Infrastructure and Network Services Inc. (FINSI) have teamed up with Google’s TAARA project to test a new wireless technology that uses beams of light instead of cables to transmit data.
In the field trial, the companies achieved internet speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second over a distance of 11 kilometers across Laguna Lake.
The system passed standard performance tests for speed, reliability, and stability, Globe said.
“This is a big step in finding faster and more affordable ways to bring internet to hard-to-reach areas,” said Gerhard Tan, Globe’s head of technology strategy and innovations.
Google’s TAARA free space optics technology uses highly focused light beams to deliver fast data connections, offering an option for locations where laying fiber cables is too costly or difficult.
FINSI general manager Xerxes Jonash Sta. Ana said the successful test shows how the technology can help improve internet access in remote and island communities in the Philippines.