New PLDT product touts no lost service connection

MANILA, Philippines —  PLDT Home is introducing a first of its kind product in the world as part of its efforts to provide reliable internet to more homes in the country.

PLDT Home is pioneering the Always On broadband service in the country with a newly launched hybrid modem that can automatically switch a customer’s connection from fiber to LTE in case of downtime.

The device can deliver speeds of up to one Gbps and is equipped with unlimited LTE that serves as backup.

“We call this Always On. In the event of a service interruption, you don’t need to worry about losing access to the internet. Even with a severed cable, you will stay connected and pursue your online activities with minimal interruption,” Jeremiah de la Cruz, senior vice president and head of home business group at PLDT, said.

Once the device detects downtime and switches to LTE, the new Always On modem will also file a service repair ticket so that customers no longer have to report loss of service.

“We wanted to create a product that was responsive to the needs of our customers. We believe this will help elevate the internet standard in the country,” De la Cruz said.

The product will cost P299 a month on top of the current PLDT subscription plan.

“Think of it as like an insurance plan. We have an insurance premium that we pay every month. This one, as soon as your fiber connectivity dies, then you will have insurance in the form of connectivity via LTE, only for P299 a month,” PLDT vice president Roy Victor Añonuevo said.

PLDT Home continues to improve customer service and network reliability, as well as foster customer loyalty.

It aims to improve customer retention, which in 2023 was already better than industry average.

PLDT operates the country’s most extensive and robust fiber infrastructure, which spanned over 1.1 million cable kilometers as of end-2023.