PLDT seeks to dominate broadband, Internet services market

Leading telecommunications company Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) aims to dominate the fast-growing data market next year, with revenues coming mostly from broadband and IP (Internet Protocol) services.

"While traditional data services like leased lines will continue to contribute significantly, revenues are expected to shift towards broadband and IP services as more and more customers adopt their web-based applications and processes," PLDT assistant vice president for business solutions Nerissa Ramos said during a press briefing yesterday.

Despite the global economic slowdown and local political uncertainties, PLDT revenues for its data and other network services as of the third quarter of this year grew by about 47 percent compared to the same period last year.

Ramos pointed out that the PLDT-Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) service is currently growing at 38 percent per month since it was launched in November 2000. "We have effectively grown the service 100 times since it was launched. We have exceeded this year’s target rollout capacity of 10,000 lines as of Nov. 21, 2001," she said.

PLDT-DSL service is the country’s fastest growing broadband service, covering 90 percent of the business districts of Alabang, Makati and Ortigas. "We have also wired more than 1,000 buildings in Metro Manila which have now been declared DSL ready or broadband buildings. There are also 34 PLDT exchanges in Metro Manila that are DSL ready and another 10 in other provincial key cities nationwide," Ramos said.

To date there are more than 4,100 PLDT service customers nationwide who are enjoying the benefits of broadband, unlimited access to the Internet.

PLDT also sees growth of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country. One of the markets for data services that remains relatively untouched is the SME market that traditionally has only access to basic low speed dial up connection.

"In line with the government’s initiative to support the SME market in providing information and communication tools, PLDT will be offering the SME bundled services next year," Ramos said. The SME bundled services provide voice, high-speed Internet access and total networking solutions at a reasonable price.

PLDT will also provide a comprehensive outsourcing service by next year. "Understanding the current customer requirement to save capital and manpower cost, PLDT’s Total Network Integration (TNI) offers end to end network solution for clients enabling them to outsource all requirements to a single point of contact," Ramos said.

The company will be putting more emphasis on broadband data solutions like the PLDT DSL, IP-VPN service while continually maintaining and developing its traditional telco-based services such as leased lines. "There are still business applications that are best suited by using the traditional services. Our traditional services and the core network complement each other in the provisioning of our broadband solutions which makes PLDT the preferred end-to-end solutions provide today and the years to come," Ramos said.

In June this year, PLDT reinforced its global strength in data services by providing IP-VPN service in the ASEAN region through Acasia, a joint venture company of PLDT, Singapore Telecoms, Telecom Malaysia, JTB, CAT, and Indosat.

From regional ATM this year, PLDT will provide global ATM and IP-VPN services next year through Arostar, the brand name of NTT Communications’ International Solutions.