Meralco telco unit launches home broadband service

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest electricity distributor, announced a major expansion plan for its telecommunications unit Radius Telecoms as internet demand rises during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company launched Red Broadband, which will offer bundled fiber internet and television services through a tie-up with affiliate Cignal TV, a satellite TV provider.

Cignal TV is part of the PLDT Group, one of the country’s leading telecommunications providers with mobile and fixed-broadband services.

Meralco said in a statement the partnership was only recently formalized.

Through the partnership with CignalTV, Red Broadband will offer customers unlimited fiber internet combined with a pay TV plan starting at P1,299 month.

Meralco officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Before the launch of Red Broadband, Radius Telecoms offered data, internet and managed cloud services to small to medium sized businesses, its website showed.

It operates a full fiber optic network spanning 5,000 kilometers in Mega Manila, Clark and Cebu. The company is also expanding in major cities in Visayas and Mindanao by next year, its website showed.

Meralco owns Radius Telecoms through subsidiary e-Meralco Ventures Inc. Radius also holds a congressional franchise to build and operate telecommunications services across the country.