PLDT allots P1.8 billion for fiber-to-home lines

MANILA, Philippines - Dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) has earmarked P1.8 billion to install fiber facilities that would provide ultra-fast Internet connection to residences in various parts of the country.

PLDT technology group head Rolando Peña said that the project would triple the number of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) lines to be connected to millions of Filipino homes all over the country.

Peña said the first phase of the two-year program worth P1 billion entails the installation of around 90,000 fiber optic lines that “passby ” about one million homes from the current 30,000 FTTH lines by the end of the year.

FTTH is a fixed line broadband communications technology that supports higher bandwidth and new services, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Video on Demand (VOD), and high-definition video streaming.

“This will further boost our super-charged network with the fastest fiber data connection to the home. We will thus be in a position to serve the varying needs of different customers – which can range from DSL service to ultra-high-speed fiber to the home,” Peña stressed.

He added that the expansion program also entails the installation of about 240,000 access ports from which fiber links can be brought to residences by late 2013.

He explained that the fiber facilities would “pass by” over two million homes.

PLDT’s Home Business has already launched its ultra-fast fiber optic service called PLDT Fibr that delivers up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) Internet speed to upscale residential villages around the country.

The service currently offered in Forbes Park, Dasmarinas Village and Ayala Alabang would also be available in 100 villages in Metro Manila and other key cities nationwide like Cebu.

Given PLDT’s accelerated rollout of fiber facilities, he said PLDT Fibr would have much more extensive coverage in Metro Manila and key cities nationwide for the strongest connections at home.

“With PLDT Fibr, members of the family will be able to download a full-length movie in as fast as one minute, enjoy multi-player games, or watch high-quality, high definition video without difficulty,” he added.

The expansion of PLDT’s FTTH program would also make it easier for its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. to roll-out its advanced mobile broadband service called Long Term Evolution (LTE) all over the country.

“LTE base stations need to be connected to the rest of the network with fiber for the technology to deliver its full benefits,” Peña explained.

Smart became the first LTE provider in the country when it commercially launched last August. LTE is capable of very fast data connectivity, surpassing speeds currently available in 3G and HSPA+ technologies.

PLDT had earlier undertaken a P67-billion network transformation program that included the expansion of its domestic fiber backbone to over 54,000 kilometers, which is more than three times longer than what other telecom operators are trying to build.

PLDT is also beefing up its international gateway facilities to ensure that all elements of the network involved in the delivery of broadband are in place to ensure unparalleled customer experience.

According to Peña, PLDT is moving forward to the next stage by using the Group’s super-charged network to offer the most advanced communications services such FTTH and LTE.