Philippine telecommunications firm PLDT Inc. (PLDT) plans to lay out an additional 125,000 kilometers as it ramps up fiber network deployment. This goes on top of the existing 429,000 kilometers of fiber deployed across the country.

This is part of the company’s aggressive spending on its advanced digital transport network, to support PLDT and Smart customers in accessing services on fiber fixed broadband, mobile data via 4G and increasingly 5G, and carrier-grade WiFi.

“PLDT needs to expand its fiber infrastructure in order to support the projected number of Home installations in 2021, which could exceed 100,000 monthly average installations,” said Menardo Jimenez, SVP and head of Home Business, PLDT. “The extensive nationwide fiber rollout in 2020, along with increased installations, helped serve the increasing demand from customers for connectivity for work-from-home, online learning, and streaming. The lockdowns brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented demand for home broadband services.”

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PLDT’s continuing rollout of its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) facilities has made its broadband services available to more customers. At present, PLDT’s fixed broadband services cover 48% of the total 1,634 cities and municipalities nationwide.

The fiber infrastructure also provides high-capacity links for the cell sites of PLDT’s mobile subsidiary Smart’s wireless network, which covers 96% of the population, and is the country’s fastest mobile network according to Ookla.

“PLDT’s massive investment in its fiber backbone, strengthening the connections across the Philippine islands, is a critical enabler for our customers to enjoy the best experience on our fixed and mobile services,” said Mario Tamayo, SVP and head of Network and Technology, PLDT and Smart Communications Inc.