Dito sees competition heating up

MANILA, Philippines — Telco newcomer Dito Telecommunity Corp. expects industry competition to heat up in the latter half of the year.

Dito chief administrative officer Adel Tamano yesterday said the telco firm would broaden its reach to 70 percent of the population within the month as required by its license obligations.

By then, Tamano said Dito can challenge the telco giants in terms of market reach to the benefit of consumers who will be given an additional option for network subscription.

“We are confident that Dito can go head-to-head with the two other major players as penetrating more areas means we capture more share in the market. Filipino consumers would benefit from this increased competition, with companies racing to provide the best connectivity and the best value for services,” Tamano said.

The third player in the telco field exceeded the nine-million-subscriber mark in June. Banking on its presence in more than 600 cities and municipalities nationwide, the firm eyes to reach the 12-million-subscriber level by the end of 2022.

Tamano said even global broadband speed tester Ookla recognized the impact of Dito’s entry in the industry, saying its operations contributed in raising Internet quality across the Philippines.

In June Ookla principal industry analyst Sylwia Kechiche said LTE speed in the country went up to 15.53 Mbps in the first quarter, or nearly a year into Dito’s operation, from 11.15 Mbps a year ago, when Dito made its commercial launch.

“Our analysis suggests that Dito’s entry, combined with the regulatory changes, resulted in more network investment and an overall improvement in the 4G coverage and performance across all operators,” Kechiche said.

To this, Tamano said Dito would sustain its investment spree on its network rollout. The firm plans to spend P50 billion this year for its infrastructure expansion, as it looks to widen its commercial availability to over 840 areas nationwide.

“This is just the beginning. With our commitment to delivering quality telco services nationwide, Filipino consumers can expect more from Dito as we remain committed to continue investments in network upgrades and expansion,” Tamano said.

Dito, a joint venture between Dennis Uy’s Udenna Group and the Beijing-funded China Telecom Corp., is mandated to fulfill its five-year plan to cover 84 percent of the population by 2024 for it to maintain its franchise.