Telcos heed gov't call to boost connectivity

Local telcos committed to heed the new administration's call to improve connectivity and hasten digitalization.

"We support the government's thrust to connect our countrymen and make sure that no Filipino is left behind as the world becomes more digital," stated PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio.

“We’re pleased that the new administration is prioritizing universal connectivity, especially at this critical time when digitalization is at the heart of everything that we do," according to Dennis Anthony Uy, CEO and Co-Founder of Converge ICT Solutions.

"We support this initiative as we push for digital democracy in the Philippines,” he noted.

For PLDT's part, "Our continuous network investments are proof of this long-standing commitment to provide more Filipinos access to fast, reliable and affordable internet, enabling them to participate in the ever-growing digital economy, wherever they may be in the country," Panlilio explained.

"We are also prepared to assist in the government’s digitalization efforts, empowering its vision of an agile bureaucracy that is responsive to the needs of the public," he added.

In his first State of the Nation Address, President Marcos tasked the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to deploy nationwide digital connectivity through the National Broadband Plan, the common tower program, and the ‘Broad Band ng Masa’ project, which will connect Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) using a combination of submarine fiber optic cables, terrestrial networks and satellite technology.

The President also plans to use digital innovation to improve governance by digitizing archives and records and harmonizing data across agencies with the help of secure but accessible data centers.

He laid down his priority legislation to include the E-Governance Act and Internet Transaction Act.

“As the world moves to rapid digitalization, the digital divide will be more pronounced," Marcos acknowledged.

"This will open new opportunities for creation of wealth but will also likely create inequalities. Hence, universal connectivity will be a vital component to make sure that no citizen is left behind,” he pointed out.

In education, President Marcos stressed that access to connectivity and modern digital tools will improve the education materials for the country’s school children.

“Children now need connectivity to the internet and the devices and tools so that they may participate fully in the digital community, here and abroad,” he emphasized.

This concept dovetails with the mission of Converge to extend connectivity to the farthest and least developed areas of the country, according to Uy.

In fact, the company has accelerated its target of covering 55 percent of Philippine households with fiber connectivity by two years and expects to achieve this goal in 2023.

Last year, Converge partnered with a foreign satellite company to provide satellite broadband connection to over 2,000 public schools.

"With our digital infrastructure, we are more than ready to assist the government in the efforts to achieve universal connectivity,” added Uy.

As of first quarter 2022, its fiber network has passed 12 million homes, coveraging 47.3 percent of households in the Philippines.

For its part, PLDT has continued expanding the reach and capacity of its fiber infrastructure, enabling the company to offer fiber-to-the-home services across the Philippines, reaching upland areas like Bontoc and islands like Romblon.

Boosting the country's ambition to become the Asia Pacific region's hub for hyperscale investments, PLDT, through its ICT arm ePLDT, is leading the capacity build with the construction of its 11th and largest hyperscale data center to-date, the VITRO Sta. Rosa.

At the same time, the telco is also augmenting capacities in existing sites such as VITRO Makati 2, Paranaque and Clark.

PLDT also continues to invest heavily in increasing international capacity through the Jupiter Cable System, PLDT’s 16th submarine cable system, which serves as an international highway for global data traffic to reach the Philippines.

It is expected to exponentially boost the country’s international capacity to the United States and Japan, propelling the country’s digital economy.

As of end-March 2022, PLDT has extended its fiber infrastructure to 803,000 kilometers.

This infrastructure also supports Smart's mobile network. Smart has deployed around 76,600 total base stations nationwide, supporting its 3G, 4G/Long Term Evolution and 5G customers.

The PLDT Group continues to invest in its network, having spent ₱518.5 billion for the last 10 years up to 2021.

Network-related initiatives made up the bulk of the telco's ₱89 billion spend for 2021. Its apex guidance for 2022 is ₱85 billion.