PLDT Inc. is placing its bets on the combined power of 5G and artificial intelligence (AI) to shape the future of the telecom industry.
“It is the power of both 5G and AI that will deliver the magic,” said Menardo “Butch” Jimenez, chief operating officer and chief technology officer of PLDT, during his keynote at the 2025 Mobile World Congress in Shanghai. “Not just one or the other. Telcos have the unique DNA to deliver both, and that’s why we believe the future of the industry depends on how we harness these two forces together.”
Speaking before a global audience, Jimenez said the merging of 5G and AI is driving PLDT’s shift from a traditional telecom provider to a source of cross-industry digital solutions.
Jimenez also echoed the vision of Manuel V. Pangilinan, chair of PLDT, for a “mega utility” serving sectors like power, water, highways, agriculture, media, and telecommunications. He said PLDT is becoming the digital backbone of the Pangilinan-led companies and is aiming to bring Philippine-developed solutions to the global market.
PLDT now operates the country’s largest network of data centers and is the only local telecom company offering GPU services needed for AI processing.
“If we stopped at just providing connectivity, our revenues and relevance would eventually plateau,” Jimenez said. “We had to invest forward, and we did.”
He outlined a three-part plan for leading in the 5G-AI space: build smarter infrastructure, partner widely, and train employees for the shift.
“If our people don’t embrace AI, there’s no way we can lead with it,” he said.
Jimenez ended by saying that the next step for telecom companies is to move beyond faster networks and toward building intelligent systems powered by 5G and AI.
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