Monsoon? No problem. CENTAURI kept 99.9 % uptime over 30 days.
The Challenge
Metro Manila’s right-of-way and typhoon-driven rains make traditional fibre trenching slow and costly. DITO, one of the largest telecommunications providers in the Philippines, needed a fast way to light up new 5G and enterprise sites, without waiting months for permits or risking microwave rain-fade.
The Laser Leap
Metro Manila’s right-of-way and typhoon-driven rains make traditional fibre trenching slow and costly. DITO, one of the largest telecommunications providers in the Philippines, needed a fast way to light up new 5G and enterprise sites, without waiting months for permits or risking microwave rain-fade.
At-a-Glance
Metric | Result | Target |
Throughput | 10 Gbps | 10 Gbps |
Average Uptime | 99.9 % | 99 % |
Link Length | 2.1 km (across the South Luzon Expressway) | |
Setup Time | Less than 1/2 day | |
Trial Window | 30 days of live traffic | Monsoon season |
Pilot Design
The Pilot was supported by AHD Advance Communications together with Asticom (Transcelesial’s local partner in the Philippines.)
Phase | Timeline | What Happened |
Site Evaluation | Late Sept 2024 | Two Muntinlupa rooftops were examined and passed site evaluation and vibration assessment. |
Install & RFC 2544 Testing | Nov 2024 | 10 Gbps throughput, sub-millisecond latency, zero frame loss. |
Integration & Live Traffic | 19 Nov – 18 Dec 2024 | 30 days of production traffic over a 2.1 km laser link spanning the South Luzon Expressway. |
Monsoon-Grade Results
Week | Uptime | Notes |
1 | 99.94 % | Light afternoon showers |
2 | 99.82 % | Two heavy storms; *Adaptive Power Control managed uptime and availability* |
3 | 99.97 % | Clear skies, stable Rx levels |
4 | 99.97 % | Intermittent rain, no service impact |
*CENTAURI’s APC (adaptive power control) smart feature managed the torrid weather conditions by toggling Transmit power as and when required
Key takeaways
- Zero throttling: Full 10 Gbps sustained, even during peak rainfall.
- Low jitter and latency (< 50 µs): Smooth video and voice calls. Round trip delay was <1ms
- No truck rolls: Remote align & power adjustment meant zero on-site fixes. CENTAURI’s PAT (pointing tracking acquisition) compensated for any vibrations and sways seen during the weather conditions.
Voices from the Field
“The link crossed one of Manila’s busiest expressways during the wettest weeks of the year—and our NOC barely noticed. That’s the kind of resilience we need for rapid 5G expansion.” Victor Foranda, Manager for Network Strategy, DITO
“With adaptive power control and AI-driven software working in tandem, CENTAURI delivers exceptional link stability through rain and storms, proving that laser communication is ready for all-weather deployment.” Dinesh Kummaran, Transcelestial
Why It Matters for DITO
- Speed-to-Revenue: 60 days from survey to service beats multi-month trenching.
- CapEx Efficiency: No permitting, no ducts, no leased dark fibre.
- Rain-Fade Myth Busted: Data shows < 0.2 % downtime in the heaviest week.
- Scalable Hybrid Model: Drop-in lasers where fibre is stuck; extend reach instantly.
Next Opportunities
- Expand FSO rings around dense business districts to offload congested microwave hops.
- Deploy > 5 km hybrid links save costs on fiber lease and rollouts in addition to launching laser in connectivity for their enterprise business
- Fast-track enterprise offerings—10 Gbps last-mile to data-heavy customers without laying new fibre.
Call to Action
Need to connect a hard-to-reach site before the next rainy season?
Connect with Transcelestial’s PH team for a 48-hour site suitability scan.
📧 [email protected]
