DITO Telecommunity completes 30,000 kilometers of fiber cable link
By Bob Reyes
DITO Telecommunity reports that as of June 2022, the country’s latest telecom player has laid out more than 30,000 kilometers of fiber cable to link the three (03) major islands of the Philippines. It may be recalled that they reported in March 2021 that the first phase of their submarine cable system has been up and running.
After over a year of commercial operations, DITO has established more than 5,500 towers, connecting more than 600 cities and municipalities with quality telco services. The telecom company also expressed its full support for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s marching order to boost connectivity across the Philippines.
“We promise to deliver to the new administration’s goal of ensuring every Filipino thrives as the digital world grows, especially highlighted during the pandemic. We have been aggressively building our network to meet our commitments, earmarking massive investments to address Filipino consumers’ rising demand for reliable and high-speed internet connectivity,” according to Adel Tamano, DITO’s Chief Administrative Officer.
During his first State of the Nation Address, President Marcos emphasized the need to push for universal connectivity as he warned the digital divide might be “more pronounced” amid the acceleration of digitalization.
“Universal connectivity will be a vital component in order to ensure that no citizen is left behind. All relevant modes of digital transport should be utilized. These may be through a combination of terrestrial or submarine fiber optics, wireless and even satellite technology,” the president said.
President Marcos said he mandated Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan Uy to develop connectivity in remote areas and islands through the implementation of the National Broadband Plan, the common tower program, and the “Broadband ng Masa” project.
For its part, DITO has been actively participating in the government’s tower-sharing market to help bolster its reach nationwide.
“With the expansion of our digital infrastructure, DITO is ready to help the Philippines emerge stronger from the pandemic,” said Rodolfo Santiago, DITO’s Chief Technology Officer as he bared the group’s plan of tapping satellite technology to reach underserved and unserved areas.