PLDT seeks other areas to expand fiber optic network

MANILA, Philippines -  Telecommunications leader Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is looking at other areas in the country where it can expand its domestic fiber optic network (DFON).

Late last year, PLDT announced the completion of a P2.8-billion expansion of its DFON, further extending the reach and strengthening the resiliency of the country’s most extensive communications transmission network.

The project, which is part of the company’s DFON Resiliency Improvement Program, involved the installation of 1,300 kilometers of new terrestrial and submarine fiber optic cables to carry voice, data and video traffic in Bicol and the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

PLDT said it intends to continue expanding its DFON and help bring economic development to other region as well.  

Last year, PLDT expanded its DFON facilities in Camarines Sur as part of a major upgrade program. As a result, the province has enjoyed an economic upswing as new companies, taking advantage of more resilient telecommunications services, have set up shop in this southern Luzon province.

One of the prominent newcomers is Sutherland Global Services, which sought the help of PLDT to set up its business process outsourcing (BPO) operations in the region, with Camarines Sur as a hub.

“It was a calculated investment. And it was an investment that paid off,” PLDT senior vice president Eric Alberto said on PLDT’s decision to invest in Camarines Sur.

Today PLDT not only serves Sutherland, one of the world’s leading BPO players, but also other businesses and residents of Camarines Sur.

“Not only did we satisfy the needs for Sutherland. We also opened up opportunities for businesses to invest in the area and residential clients to have access to our new landline and broadband services,” Alberto noted.

He explained that the ecosystem that the DFON expansion developed in Camarines Sur also sets up the stage for more innovation.

“We are now in a better position to offer innovative products and services that cater to the needs of more people in the region. Our DFON will enable us to push our services in a cost-efficient way as the needs of our clients grow,” he added.

He added that PLDT hopes to replicate its success in Camarines Sur in other areas of the country. “We are now identifying these areas that need a little technological push to spur their economy,” Alberto said.