Why fiber is good for your family

But of course, you and I know that fiber is good for everybody — you know, whole grains, veggies, fruits, and all that roughage — as it wards off heart disease, diabetes, and constipation. But we’re not talking about that kind of fiber. We’re talking about PLDT’s fiber-to-the-home service that Filipino households around the country would be gobbling up sooner than you can say hello.

While technology has changed the way we live, what has not changed — at least for Filipino families — is the time-cherished value of staying connected, whether we live in the same home or far away from home, as in Pago Pago. It’s part of our DNA.

To bring families closer together, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) introduced the connected home concept where consumers get to enjoy advanced whole-home content and services within the comforts of home.

And now comes the future’s reliable and high-speed broadband service: fiber. When fiber optic cable was first introduced by PLDT back in the 1980s, it only passed between PLDT facilities and copper wires were still the final connection that reached households. But believing that the closer the fiber to the customer, the bigger the bandwidth, PLDT introduced fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), the first of its kind in the country.    With FTTH, fiber does not only pass within PLDT facilities or to the street level but is seamlessly streamed straight to the home. Now, how cool is that?

As thin as human hair, fiber optic lines can carry digital information over long distances. PLDT’s fiber network stretches over 54,000 kilometers across the country.

It’s all about connecting the family, bringing family members closer together. “The strongest connections are at home,” stresses PLDT/Smart head of Home Business and executive vice president Ariel Fermin, himself a devoted family man and proud father to nine-year-old son Iñigo and two-year-old daughter Rocio.

Is anybody home? Ariel Fermin brings some good tidings to Filipino households. Excerpts from the one-on-one Philippine STAR interview:

PHILIPPINE STAR:  Is fiber relatively new?

ARIEL FERMIN: Yes, as a straight-to- your-home service, it’s new. We’ve always been preparing for it, in terms of network, but yes, it’s straight to your home. It can run up to 100 mbps, you can now stream HD video dire-diretso.

How much do you pay for it?

We have certain packages. Our most affordable is the P3,500 one for 8 mb. You’re good at 8 mb. Advise first where you are so we can check if we serve you.CA:

So, there are areas that don’t have it yet? Why?

It’s still being rolled out, but it’ll come. Right now, we’re in 100+ villages. So one by one. We will keep adding every month.

The exclusive villages first and then all the rest?

Yes. ‘Yung mayayaman muna, tapos susunod ’yung mga beautiful! (Laughter.)

We’re starting from here. Maganda ‘yang fiber, it’s the fastest broadband!

If you have DSL, can you get fiber-to-the-home?

You can upgrade, yes. Where DSL ends, fiber begins — in terms of broadband speed, the more sophisticated one. So if you’re after HD streaming, you might as well get fiber if it’s available in your area. Our fiber now comes with a subscription — a video-on-demand service with Click Play. You can stream blockbusters, it’s part of your subscription. So if you’re on fiber, you have a finite number of movies you can watch every month. Walang bayad. And these are the really good movies. Ah, all-star! For example, if you have kids, Happy Feet comes with the subscription. We’re the first ones to do that, the Click Play.

How does fiber help foster family connectivity?

Entertainment is one of the things that keep the family together. Our mission is to bring the family closer together — by having access to fiber, which gives you choices of movies that would be enjoyed by everyone. The brand owns the strongest connections. A lot of people think that technology is one of the reasons why family members grow farther apart. People have different gadgets, kanya kanya ... may mali diyan eh. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can bring back the beautiful values of the Filipino family. I think among all the races, you can say that the Filipino is the one that’s naturally closer to each other. In the Western countries, when you reach 18 years old, you’re encouraged to be on your own.

Did you say blockbuster movies?

Yes, video-on-demand, we’re the first one to do it. The telco term for that is “triple play.”

Why the name?

First, we offer voice service; second, data service; and third, video. So, it’s triple play. And this is part of PLDT’s move from a dominant telephone company to an integrated multi-media company. PLDT before was just telephone, landline, and payphone. But under Manny V. Pangilinan and Polly Nazareno’s leadership, it was integrated to a multi-media — broadband and then now, video. Wow, imagine the possibilities!

So, what number can people call if they want fiber?

There’s a hotline: 101-FIBR (101-3427) or you can visit our site: pldthome.com.

When you launched this, what was the initial feedback? Which were the initial villages served?

The initial villages were Ayala Alabang and Valle. When we were testing it to see if the customers would actually appreciate it, they said that they really felt the speed. It’s really for the consumer who has an appetite for broadband use. Consumers who are not familiar with the Internet, this is not for them. In which case, they can have DSL first. Kapag madalas na siya mag-YouTube, and downloading and uploading … If you want to stay connected, mag fiber ka. It’s really for the sophisticated guy. With a speed like 100 mbps, you can download a movie in less than a minute.: An HD movie is 5 gig, divided by 100 mb, that’s 50 seconds. It’s less than a minute. Iba na talaga ngayon. Sophisticated na tayo!

So, you have this in your own home?

Yes. And my kids, they want to download movies! But they have to study. It’s balanced ... a lot of their research is done through the Net.

For grown-up kids, there are more reasons to stay home now?

There are more reasons for you to stay home now with your family. Or sometimes, uso ’yung compound setting sa family.  The warmth of the Filipino family, we can bring it back ironically with technology. It just makes it easier. Before, what bound families together was mahjong or sungka. Now, it’s the movies.

The concept of the Connected Home is the thrust of the company. There’s a lot more focus on the home so that consumers will have an integrated system. The pillars of a connected home are: Fibr; Telpad — you can call telpad to telpad, telpad to landline and it’s NDD so it’s free, and it has the lowest rates for IDD — it runs on Internet, gives you a lot of value.

Our mantra is to bring members of the Filipino family together. To make them  think of home not just as a place for sleeping because it’s a boring place and they’re happier outside.

So, are you going to make every home a digital home?
AF:

Yes, our goal is to make every home a digitally connected home.

PLDT is indisputably the leader in fiber?

Yes, it has the most extensive coverage — 54,000 km. of fiber optic cables nationwide. That’s four times as much as the next guy. What that means is that PLDT planned for this very, very well. Years ago! Even if you had the money today, you can’t buy time. You should have laid the groundwork 10-15 years ago for you to enjoy it today.

With all this technology, where is the world headed?

The whole world is headed towards a connected home, where your devices and family members are literally and figuratively connected. You know what’s happening? In the Philippines, who takes on that responsibility so we don’t lag behind in the world? No one else but the market leader, and that’s PLDT. And we’re in the best position to do that because we’ve got the fiber network rolled out already. It’s not only about money, it’s also about time. We call it DFON: Domestic Fiber Optic Network.

So, fiber is good for the family?AF:

It starts at home, so it will bring about connected families. This will then become connected communities, and eventually will lead to a connected nation. The family is the most fundamental group in the Philippines. Distance should not be an excuse to not be close.

Nothing beats coming home to a place full of fun, love and laughter.