PLDT retains leadership in Home Broadband

The Philippines’ largest Telecom and digital services provider, PLDT, Inc. solidified its leadership as its Home Business Group increased its revenues by 10% in 2018, raising it to P364 billion, owing to the massive growth of its fiber-powered broadband services.

1.9Million+ Broadband Subscribers

In 2018, there were 245,000 new Home customers for its fiber-powered internet service, thus increasing its broadband subscriber based to 1.9million+. This raised PLDT Home’s data service revenues by 33% to P27.5 billion, which now accounts for 75% of total Home revenues.

“2018 has been a stellar year for PLDT Home,” PLDT-Smart SVP and Consumer Business Market Development Head Oscar A. Reyes, Jr. said. “With our aggressive network expansion, we were able to provide Filipinos everywhere in the country with the most powerful network, world-class products and diverse content that allow them to fully embrace and enjoy their digital lifestyles.”

He further explained that the growing appetite of Filipinos for online video services as Netflix,iflix, Cignal and NBA has driven the demand for high-speed broadband services.

“Several recent studies have shown that Filipinos are among the most enthusiastic users of online video in the world.  We are now watching more video online than through broadcast TV,” Reyes added.

In 2018, PLDT expanded its fixed & mobile broadband networks, investing a record-high capital expenditures (capex) program of P58.5 billion.

Fiber-Powered Fixed Networks Now Covers 6.3 Million Homes

This led to PLDT’s increasing the coverage of its fiber-powered fixed network by 57% to 6.3 million homes passed, exceeding by end-2018 its 2020 target.  PLDT also increased the available capacity of its fixed broadband network to 2.6 million ports, 2.6 times more than 2017.

To support this rapid expansion, PLDT also added nearly 70,000 kilometers of fiber cables, expanding its total fiber network to over 244,000 kilometers by 2018, a 39% increase from end-2017.

PLDT Fibr City & Fibr-Powered Areas Program

PLDT’s Fibr City program, its aggressive nationwide fiber expansion, continued in 2018. It has transformed bustling cities into PLDT Fibr Cities including our very own General Santos City, here in Mindanao; Toledo City in Cebu, Shoe Capital Marikina City, and Naga City in the Bicol Region.

PLDT has also fiber-powered numerous areas, including favorite tourist destination El Nido in Palawan, as well as South Metro Manila, East Metro Manila, and central business districts like Rockwell Makati and Bonifacio Global City, while Cavite became the first “Smart Province.”

PLDT-SMART Increases Capex Program to P78.4 Billion

For 2019, PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications are further raising the bar by allocating a new historic-high capex program of P78.4 billion, P20 billion higher than 2018.  This includes a substantial allocation for “Customer Capex” which covers the cost of last-mile and customer premises equipment like modems and acquisition of vehicles, equipment and office space for the new corps of technicians that will fast-track and improve the quality of installation and repair of fixed broadband connections.

“This increased allocation for customer capex will enable us to quickly connect more homes and businesses with fiber-powered, high-speed fixed broadband,” Reyes explained.

PLDT-Smart are Philippines’ Fastest Fixed Mobile Network in 2018

PLDT’s continuing network expansion and improvement efforts have raised the level of internet services to its growing customer base.  This has been confirmed by leading international internet testing companies, including Ookla.

Late last year, PLDT beefed up its service portfolio with the launch of Google Wifi and Prepaid Home WiFi.

Google WiFi

PLDT goes even further by ushering in a new era of home broadband with its launch of the new PLDT Home Google Wifi plans that enable customers to enjoy unlimited high-speed Fibr in every room of the house through strategically placed Google Wifi ‘points.’ These ‘points’ form part of a mesh networking technology that eliminate WiFi dead spots to make the most out of PLDT Home’s fastest unlimited Fibr connection for the family.

Prepaid Home WiFi

The Prepaid Home WiFi is PLDT’s first ever prepaid broadband service that is powered by Smart’s LTE network. An affordable wireless Internet service for the household, Prepaid Home Wifi allows families to connect up to five (5) WiFi-ready devices such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, to Smart’s high-speed Internet service.

PLDT-Smart Omega for The Nationals

PLDT also reaffirmed its commitment to empowering the country’s burgeoning esports community as one of the six founding corporations of The Nationals—the country’s first franchise-based esports league. In connection to this, PLDT and Smart also unveiled the PLDT-Smart Omega, its very own professional gaming team for The Nationals.

In summary, Reyes said, “As we look to 2019, we will continue to blaze the trail for data and digital services in the Philippines and raise the bar in delivering unparalleled customer experiences.”