PLDT weighs prepaid fiber market entry

Telco giant PLDT Inc. is mulling its entry into prepaid fiber space after competitors recently launched their own products catering to the low-income segment of the country, which could mean more options for Filipinos needing cheap internet connection.

Joseph Gendrano, chief technology officer of the Pangilinan-led telco player, said it was “possible” for the company to introduce prepaid fiber offering but PLDT was still evaluating the market.

“[Prepaid fiber] is always something that we look into,” he told reporters in a recent interview in Quezon City.

“If we believe that the need is immediate [and] important, we will be as expeditious as we can,” he added.

The rationale behind offering a prepaid product is to make fiber connectivity affordable to a wider market as it has lower price points. A PLDT fiber postpaid plan starts at P1,399 per month.

The need for a fixed internet line has been emphasized during the pandemic with the rise of hybrid work setup and increased e-commerce activities.

Internet service providers Globe Telecom and Converge ICT Solutions recently introduced these low-cost products amid the rising consumer prices. Both companies are targeting to enlist hundreds of thousands of subscribers this year, banking on the robust demand for internet connectivity.

Recently, PLDT received the go signal to build two new cable landing stations in Baler and Davao, which form part of Apricot cable system.

The 12,000-kilometer submarine cable project, which is eyed to be completed by early 2025, provides connections to Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and Guam. It will increase PLDT’s international capacity to more than 130 terabits per second (Tbps).

The PLDT Group tripled its international capacity to 60 Tbps when it activated the US-Transpacific Jupiter cable system in July last year. The 14,000-km cable system links a landing station in Daet, Camarines Norte, and Japan.

As of first quarter, the telco giant has a total fiber footprint of over 1.1 million km, comprising over 231,000 km of international fiber and more than 874,000 km of domestic fiber. INQ