By Emmie V. Abadilla

PLDT, Inc. and wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have accelerated the rollout of the group’s fixed and wireless networks, boosting data speeds and company revenues in the first half of the year.

As of end-June, Smart has installed more than 3,900 LTE base stations, increasing the total count by 45% to over 12,600, and enabling Smart to improve its Long Term Evolution (LTE) coverage and activate LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) for higher data speeds and capacity.

So far, Smart has rolled out LTE and LTE-A in Metro Manila, Batanes, Sagada and Cagayan, Palawan, Sorsogon, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Davao and Sarangani.

The telco is on track to fulfill its commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission to provide high-speed wireless data services in over 90% of the country’s cities and municipalities by the end of 2018.

As of end-June, PLDT has likewise increased the coverage of its fiber-power fixed broadband network to 5.07 million homes passed and boosted its capacity to 1.86 million ports, nearing its full-year target of 2.2 million ports.

n the first half of the year, PLDT increased its fiber footprint to 204,000 kilometers, rolling out over 29,000 kilometers of fiber cable to boost the reach, capacity and resiliency of its fiber network.

The expansion also enhanced Smart’s mobile network by providing high-capacity fiber connections for LTE base stations.

PLDT transformed areas into fiber-enabled “Smart cities”, such as Toledo City in Cebu, General Santos City in Mindanao, Naga in the Bicol Region, South Metro Manila, including Paranaque and Las Piñas, East Metro Manila covering Pasig and Antipolo, as well as central business districts like Rockwell Makati and Bonifacio Global City.

Cavite became the first “Smart province” late last year. Recently, PLDT rolled out fiber in the tourist town of El Nido in Palawan with plans of expanding to other municipalities.

The telco likewise rolled out fiber in Pasay, Marikina, Taguig and Caloocan; in Northern and Central Luzon – Laoag, Baguio, Vigan, Tuguegarao, Tarlac, Cabanatuan and San Fernando; in Southern Luzon – Laguna, Puerto Princesa, Sorsogon and Legazpi; and in Davao, South Cotabato, Cotabato, Koronadal, Zamboanga, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat.

“We are prioritizing the roll-out in areas where there are ready customers. Also, our deployment of network facilities – particularly fiber – more efficiently boost the expansion efforts of both our fixed and mobile network,” noted Mario G. Tamayo, Senior Vice President for network planning and engineering for PLDT and Smart.

Data/broadband and digital services continued to be the main growth drivers for all three business segments of PLDT-Home, Individual Wireless, and Enterprise accounting for P39.6 billion in revenues, 54% of 1st half 2018 total service revenues.

“We have crossed an important threshold now that our data and digital services generate more than half of our total service revenues,” stressed Ernesto R. Alberto, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer.

Hence, “Our task is to accelerate our digital pivot by pursuing whenever possible converged digital initiatives across our business segments – Home, Individual Wireless, and Enterprise.”