PLDT completes P1-B network expansion program

MANILA, Philippines – Telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said Thursday, June 11, it completed a P1-billion network expansion program allowing it to handle a larger volume of data, voice and video traffic.

“Our enterprise customers can now rely on end-to-end managed services that are even more robust, reliable and resilient than before,” PLDT president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno said in a statement.

PLDT worked with global technology company Cisco in upgrading its core network. It also partnered with global network systems specialist Ciena in upgrading its international network.

PLDT executive vice president Eric Alberto said the upgrades would benefit new and existing customers connected to the company’s 54,000-kilometer domestic fiber optic network.

PLDT first vice president Jovy Hernandez said the fiber network is connected to 3 major submarine cables linking the Philippines and other countries including US and Hong Kong.

“This translates to near-real time restoration of any potential cable system faults for our customers in the Philippines transacting with their counterparts in the US or Hong Kong due to the self-healing quality of the international network.”

Alberto said PLDT’s major clients include banks and outsourcing companies.

Expansion to continue

Nazareno said though that more work needs to be done to improve PLDT’s services.

He said they want to prepare for heavier traffic as more consumers purchase smartphones, which have gone cheap.

He said the penetration rate of smartphones in the country is expected to increase to up to 30% over the next 3 to 5 years from the current 9% to 10%.

Given this, he said demand for PLDT’s mobile broadband services is also expected to grow by about 50%. – Rappler.com