(Edited Press Release)
PLDT has announced that it is installing additional fiber lines and 500,000more ports nationwide in the next 3 months to 6 months. The country’s biggest and only integrated telco said this initiative is aimed at serving the continuously rising demand and more subscribers for high-speed broadband and connectivity.
“Broadband connectivity is more important than ever, particularly in these pandemic times when more people are directed to work and study from home,” said PLDT Chief Revenue Officer and Smart President Alfredo S. Panlilio.
“PLDT is rolling out more fiber, more ports in more parts of the Philippines than it has ever done before because we want to connect as many Filipino families as we possibly can to our fiber network. We have now put into place more install and repair teas so we can connect more Filipinos to the most extensive fiber infrastructure in the country,” he added.
Meeting the surge in demand has been the principal challenge that PLDT faced during the enhanced community quarantine especially for its fiber-powered broadband service. “PLDT’s network service teams have worked out how to operate under pandemic conditions and have been able to steadily ramp up their installation capacity,” said PLDT Senior Vice President for PLDT Home Menardo G. Jimenez.
“The pandemic has compelled people to redesign life at home. Many of these changes involve greater use of the internet and digital solutions to make work, study, and leisure at home more efficient and enjoyable. Hence, we have a notable spike in upgrades and new installs,” Jimenez added.
To respond to the rising demand for digital connectivity, PLDT has increased its capital expenditures (capex) to P70 billion for 2020. That amount is on top of the P260 billion total capex spent in the last five years. The company’s investments cover various components of the digital infrastructure ecosystem. That includes the ongoing modernization programs for PLDT’s overseas cable systems and its domestic fiber transport network. Also covered is ePLDT’s network of data centers providing vital support to the internet and digital services across the country.