PLDT Inc. has piloted a common virtualized network, a first in the Philippines, to transform jts service and cut operating costs.
PLDT and Smart Communication Inc. disclosed Wednesday, Aug. 10 that its Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI) is a "first in the Philippines".
"Our network virtualization initiatives help enhance the delivery of many of our services by ensuring seamless interoperability across our nationwide network infrastructure," explained Mario G. Tamayo, Head of Technology at PLDT and Smart.

"An example would be our Edge data centers. As services demand lower latency, physical distance between our customers and our network and the content they access, becomes more important."
"As such, we have begun deploying Edge data centers to bring our services closer to our customers and provide them with better experience," he noted.
Network virtualization ensures better performance and offers greater scalability and flexibility in managing the network, Tamayo pointed out.
NFVI's initial rollout is expected to improve the quality of the Smart WiFi service in select areas in Metro Manila and Cebu and provide a better experience to its users.
This common infrastructure is also being deployed in ePLDT Vitro sites in Makati and Parañaque, and will also support sites across the country, bringing PLDT's services closer to more customers outside of Metro Manila.
Virtualization enables PLDT and Smart to provision capacity faster, addressing data usage growth and preventing congestion on the network.
Having a common virtualized infrastructure also enhances PLDT's business continuity and disaster recovery response, as well as minimizes service downtime.
Because of these operational efficiencies, NFVI also enables PLDT to be more responsive to customer needs, paving the way to better service and customer experience.
The project is part of PLDT's overall transformation initiative to improve the quality of customer experience.