MANILA, Philippines — PLDT Inc. boss Manuel V. Pangilinan sees the price of 5G-capable phones going down, but said more work needs to be done to expand 5G usage among Filipinos.
In his keynote address before Ericsson executives, Pangilinan said PLDT has spent more capital to build up its 5G coverage in the Philippines, acknowledging the upgrade network capabilities in an online-centric era.
In line with this, the largest Philippine telco is also working on cutting the prices of 5G handsets to encourage more Filipinos to shift to the successor of 4G.
In August, PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. launched its own 5G phone in partnership with Shenzhen-based ZTE Corp. The Smart ZTE Blade A75 5G is offered in the market for only P5,450, cheaper than the average cost of 5G handsets of P8,000 to P9,000.
“We have done quite a bit of work to expand our 5G network, but there is still much opportunity ahead. We are seeing the prices of 5G devices coming down, and it is an important development for us,” Pangilinan said.
He added it would only be a matter of time before Filipinos realize the convenience of upgrading to a 5G unit, citing benefits in the digital experience.
5G promises quicker speeds and lower latency, enabling them to load websites faster, run apps smoothly and stream high-definition videos.
“Our network team is keen to see how we can expand our network and make it more efficient in delivering the kinds of services we see our customers want, such as live streamed sport matches or concerts,” Pangilinan said.
On top of this, the tycoon looks to a future where the word “digital” is retired. Pangilinan thinks the word would falter in a world where everyone is already active in the online world, studying in a virtual classroom, consulting with a doctor electronically, among others.
Similarly, Smart chief operating officer Anastacio Martirez called on his colleagues in the telco to work on reaching out to more customers in the 5G period. He said Smart should reinforce its market leadership as the provider with the largest subscriber base.
Based on estimates from Ericsson, 5G subscriptions in the Philippines will increase by more than five times to 70 million in 2029, from 13 million in 2024.
However, the country is far from reaping the full benefits of the 5G bandwagon, unlike Malaysia, which is expected to gain an economic bump of $35 million from its national deployment.