PLDT’s VITRO signs Eastern as provider

MANILA, Philippines — Eastern Communications has signed a partnership with telco giant PLDT Inc., allowing it to offer connectivity solutions to future clients of a data center that will rise in Laguna.

Eastern Communications will put up a point of presence in VITRO Sta. Rosa after entering into a partnership with PLDT’s technology subsidiary, ePLDT Inc.

The tie-up permits Eastern Communications to provide connectivity services to enterprises which will soon colocate their data requirements in VITRO Sta. Rosa.

Likewise, the collaboration improves the operational redundancy of Eastern Communications for emergencies. It also enhances the data capacity of Eastern Communications to serve hyperscalers who plan to venture into the Philippines.

VITRO Sta. Rosa is set to become the 11th and largest data center owned and operated by PLDT. The facility is expected to host an initial capacity of 14 megawatts upon its activation in the first quarter of 2024.

Down the line, VITRO Sta. Rosa can be expanded to as much as 50 MW, especially as it receives the future demand from hyperscale activities.

Hyperscalers refers to tech mammoths like Amazon, Google and Meta who are always in search of facilities, such as VITRO Sta. Rosa, where they can store their applications and information.

Citing data from Quisumbing Torres, Eastern Communications said the data center market in the Philippines is estimated to hit $535 million by 2026, rising by an average of 11 percent between 2021 and 2026.

Apart from this, the country boasts of the second largest subscriber base in Asia and the Pacific, making it a fertile ground for digital innovation and investments. The public and private sectors, as such, are pushing to turn the Philippines into a hyperscale hub.

Eastern Communications co-coordinator Vince Tempongko said the firm decided to partner with ePLDT in response to the government’s call to accelerate digital transition. He said that efforts to introduce new data and cloud services would be sustained to cater to the incoming demand.

ePLDT is signing partnerships with tech providers in preparation for the opening of VITRO Sta. Rosa next year.

In July, ePLDT entered into a partnership with Radius Telecoms for the provision of connectivity services in VITRO Sta. Rosa and the expansion of fiber connectivity in other data centers run by ePLDT.