PLDT is gearing up to broaden its 5G network coverage across the Philippines in 2025. The network provider is looking to invest further in 5G technology, viewing it as a key element in boosting its mobile services and meeting growing data demands.
“The 5G expansion and rollout is definitely part of the 2025 plans,” said Menardo Jimenez Jr., chief operating officer of PLDT during the company’s financial and operating results briefing. “We have to be ready because this technology is the next battleground.”
With 5G, PLDT hopes to enhance mobile data usage and speed across the country, building on its existing individual wireless segment, which reported revenues of P62.1 billion in the first nine months of the year — a year-over-year increase of 2%, or P1.5 billion. Jimenez noted that access to more affordable 5G-enabled devices and practical 5G applications could help boost adoption rates among Filipino users.
The company’s mobile data revenue remains one of its key growth drivers. Mobile data now makes up 89% of PLDT’s total individual wireless revenues, with an increase of 5% to P55.2 billion, up from P52.4 billion in the previous year. Data usage per subscriber has also grown, with average usage now at 11.6 GB per month, a 7% increase over the 10.8 GB recorded in the same period last year. Overall mobile data traffic surged 10% year-over-year, reaching 3,989 petabytes.
The wider rollout of 5G technology could also enable connectivity in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), where internet access remains limited.
Consolidated revenues
Revenue growth has been steady across PLDT’s services, with gross service revenues up by 4%, or P5.2 billion, reaching P155 billion in the first nine months of 2024. Consolidated service revenues, excluding interconnect costs, saw a 2% increase to P144.9 billion, with data and broadband services contributing 83% to this total at P120.4 billion. When excluding legacy service declines, consolidated service revenues rose by 5%, underscoring the company’s shift towards data-driven services.