PLDT Inc. has deployed home broadband services in 46 percent of the total cities and municipalities nationwide as of end-September 2020.
Through the expansion of its fiber network capacity, PLDT said a total of 3.81 million fiber ports are available for new customers by end-September and will increase to 4.15 million by yearend.
“We believe that in about a year or two, the ability of delivering fixed wireless services to the homes will increase significantly. PLDT is focusing on fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) which is considered future proof. We think FTTH will still remain the best platform to deliver services like entertainment, video, sports, and the like,” said Manuel Pangilinan, PLDT chairman, president and chief executive officer.
The FTTH rollout serves the data connectivity needs of Filipinos in the country, especially during the pandemic when more people are working and studying from home.
“With this broadband network, PLDT is not only increasing the number of new FTTH connections, we have also launched a program to convert all our customers still using copper-based ADSL services to fiber-powered services over the next 18 months,” said Alfredo Panlilio, PLDT chief revenue officer and Smart Communications Inc. president.
In areas where its fiber service is not yet available, PLDT continues to deploy its wireless Home WiFi service powered by its mobile subsidiary Smart’s 4G/Long Term Evolution network.
Responding to the increased demand for digital connectivity, PLDT has invested heavily on its network. Over the past five years, PLDT said its capital expenditure (capex), most of which was poured into its network buildout, reached P260 billion.
