MANILA, Philippines?Diversifying San Miguel Corp. has acquired a controlling stake in a second telecommunications platform, Bell Telecommunication Philippines Inc., to beef up its entry into the highly competitive voice, data, and video business.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Monday, San Miguel said it had subscribed to shares of stock equivalent to 75 percent of three companies that in turn collectively own 100 percent of BellTel.

The three companies are Two Cassandra-CCI Conglomerates Inc., Perchpoint Holdings Corp., and Power Smart Capital Ltd.

BellTel, which began commercial operations in 2002, offers an integrated package of services, including local and long distance telephone services, high speed data connectivity, Internet services, cable TV, and videoconferencing. It has a scope of licenses to include local exchange carrier (LEC), international gateway facility (IGF), inter exchange carrier (IXC), very small aperture terminal (VSAT), and Internet service provider (ISP).

BellTel has rolled out fiber-to-the-curb in the Makati central business district and entered into strategic alliances with the underutilized telecom infrastructures to be able to deploy infrastructure in a cost-effective manner.

It also operates a domestic C-band satellite hub providing connectivity for customers in remote sites not yet covered by its wireless networks. It is authorized to provide the full range of services throughout the Philippines.

San Miguel, together with its foreign partner, Quatar Telecoms, already owns a controlling stake in another telco, Liberty Telecommunication Holdings Inc., and is also set to complete the acquisition of Express Telecommunications Co.