PLDT hits more than 3,000 5G sites

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT)

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT Inc.’s Smart Communications saw its 5G footprint zoom to over 3,000 sites on expectations that the adoption for the next generation mobile technology will grow.

The 5G allows ultra-fast internet speeds with minimal lag. It is expected to replace existing mobile technologies as handset prices drop and more applications are developed.

Mainly deployed in urban areas, Smart said its ongoing 5G rollout also included remote areas such as Barangay Linut-od in Argao, Cebu, allowing residents to access telemedicine services.

“Our accelerated 5G rollout is part of our continuous efforts to upgrade and expand our network, ensuring that we deliver the best data experience to our customers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” Mario G. Tamayo, head of technology at PLDT and Smart, said in a statement on Friday.

Smart has rolled out 5G in Metro Manila, Angeles City, Baguio City, Cavite City, Cebu City, Clark City, and Davao City.

Other locations include Batangas, Bacolod, Boracay, Cagayan de Oro, Laguna, Pampanga, Pangasinan, and Quezon.

Despite prospects for 5G, the technology is not expected to become a major revenue contributor in the near term.

Jane J. Basas, Smart senior vice president and head of consumer wireless business, said during a briefing earlier this month that 5G saw “significant” revenue contributions from 5G coming between 2022 and 2023.

“We are still in the early stages of our network rollout for 5G,” she said last May 6.

Smart Communications reported just 1 percent of devices on its network were capable of using 5G during the first quarter of 2021. The bulk still came from 4G/LTE at 76 percent, followed by 3G and 2G at 8 percent and 15 percent, respectively.

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JPV