The lasers are more a nice idea than a plan. It's entirely possible they are not doable with realistic technology, given the speeds and other constraints of space, even in LEO. They are certainly not going to be there in the near future, anyway.
Not just an idea anymore. They've started experimenting with it since last year. Gwynne Shotwell said in April that third generation, yes third generation, of laser intersatellite links would be launched in "the next few months":
