MANILA, Philippines — PLDT Inc., through its ICT arm ePLDT, is set to build a series of hyperscale data centers totaling to a power requirement of 100 megawatts (MW) over the medium term to boost the country’s competitive standing as the ideal digital hub in Asia- Pacific for global hyperscalers expanding in the region.
PLDT said the series of hyperscale data centers that would be constructed would begin with a new hyperscale, telco-neutral, and purpose-built facility in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
VITRO Sta. Rosa, which will be ePLDT’s 11th data center, will rise in the country’s largest data center campus by far – a five-hectare PLDT property in the industrial city of Sta. Rosa.
PLDT said VITRO Sta. Rosa would be constructed with the highest level of diversity and reliability, equipped with triple-route PLDT domestic fiber, as well as telco fiber connectivity from other providers.
According to the company, the hyperscale facility is designed to be Tier-3 certified and Tier-4 ready, assuring clients of the highest reliability uptime as it includes the construction of an on-site Meralco power substation interconnected to several other substations, further minimizing the risk of power failure.
VITRO Sta. Rosa will also implement the global-class sustainability practices in design, supply, and building operations including rainwater collection, wastewater reuse, renewable energy use, and lowest realistic power usage effectiveness for the Philippines.
With the country being primed as the next hyperscaler destination and digital hub in Asia, PLDT has been collaborating with key government agencies while also continuing to invest in fortifying its massive network of data center infrastructure spread all over the country.
“We have the ready facilities and we continue to expand our data centers to accommodate that demand to ensure that we are able to keep up and deliver future requirements,” PLDT and Smart Communications Inc. president and CEO Alfredo Panlilio said.
“Even before building this hyperscaler data center, we have been in discussions with a lot of these tech companies and we are talking to the major players,” Panlilio said.
The PLDT Group has been serving the unique requirements of hyperscalers through existing VITRO facilities.
ePLDT currently operates the widest data center network with 10 facilities nationwide and carrying the deepest expertise with over 20 years of experience and industry-recognized certifications.
“PLDT and ePLDT have longstanding relationships with global hyperscalers, so we do understand deeply their requirements,” said Jojo Gendrano, first vice president and head of enterprise and international at PLDT and Smart.
“We have elevated our infrastructure design, our operating practices, and business models in our existing data centers according to what they need, and VITRO Sta. Rosa’s design and operations will be very well-suited to hyperscaler standards,” Gendrano said.