PLDT Inc. said it is fortifying its “mission-critical infrastructure” as the country aims to become a digital hub in the Asia Pacific region.
According to PLDT Enterprise Corporate Relationship Management Advisor Victor Aliwalas, this includes the development of global connectivity infrastructure to meet the demand for high-speed connectivity. “In terms of hyperscalers digital infrastructure, PLDT is the country’s leading fully integrated telco and ICT provider. We are maintaining this accolade by continuous investments and capex [capital expenditures] spend going back into our infrastructure. We are spending anywhere from P88 billion to P92 billion this 2021,” he said.
Part of the capital will be invested in undersea cable systems that will connect the Philippines to different parts of the globe.
Currently the telco titan’s international cable network comprises 14 global subsea cable systems, with additional subsea cables expected to be operational by the end of this year to 2022, such as Asia Direct Cable, Jupiter, and Apricot.
PLDT also has three existing cable landing stations across the Philippines situated in Batangas, La Union, and Daet, with two more expected to be built in Baler and Davao “over the next few months.”
“The new cable systems will not only provide increased capacity going to business-relevant markets. It also adds strategic diversity options out of multiple international cable system routes,” Aliwalas said.
PLDT is strengthening its wireless arm, particularly in the 5G department. Currently, the group has over 5,000 5G sites deployed across the Philippines.
5G is expected to “fuel the demand for data centers as 5G delivers denser and faster streams of data, making data centers the core of enabling 5G applications in the future,” Aliwalas explained.
“We will continue to fortify our colocation footprint across the archipelago, our international connectivity via cable landing stations and undersea cable systems, as well as our last mile capabilities and beefing up our domestic fiber optic cable capabilities nationwide,” he said.
PLDT has 10 data centers in various locations in the country.
“Even with the most expansive network for both fixed and wireless, the measure of success for us is not on the overall lead in footprint, but in the actual customer experience. Our benchmark is not the internet speeds locally, but always use the global standard as a metric for us not only to improve the network experience for PLDT but for the Philippines as a whole.”