PLDT Expands FTTH by 80%

In a major push to deliver digital content and smart home services to its customers, PLDT, one of the Philippines' largest service providers, plans to expand its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) service by nearly 80% this year. This expansion will make ultra-fast Internet connections available to a total of 4.4 million homes.

In late 2016, the company's fiber network reached over 2.5 million homes, and this year PLTD plans to increase service to an additional 1.9 million homes.

PLTD will deliver the expanded FTTH service with PLDT HOME Fibr, which delivers Internet speeds up to 1 gigabit per second. This feature provides users with access to entertainment from PLTD's digital partners including iflix, Fox Networks Group, Netflix, Roku and iWant TV, in addition to popular multiplayer online games like League of Legends, Vainglory, Super Mario Run and Dota 2.

PLDT HOME Fibr customers can also utilize smart home services like FamCam, a wireless home security monitoring system and video camera accessible from mobile devices, and FamZone, a parental control device.

"We are stepping up our efforts to deliver unrivalled Internet services to more homes in various parts of the country, from the Ilocos provinces in the North to Zamboanga in the South," said PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan in a statement.

In addition to increased FTTH service, PLTD has begun deploying hybrid fiber technologies that deliver ultra-fast broadband service through established phone lines to enterprise and residential customers. According to the release, PLDT is utilizing KT Corp. 's GiGa Wire, a hybrid fiber technology, and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. 's G.fast, which can provide data speeds of up to 600 Mbps to 700 Mbps per user. These hybrid fiber technologies use fiber optic cables and buildings' internal copper wiring to deliver fiber-like data speeds to buildings and residences.

PLDT has invested P300 billion or $6 billion in the Philippine's network infrastructure over the past decade. In 2016, the company allocated P48 billion or about $1 billion for capital expenditures, earmarking a signification portion of that amount to support the domestic fiber infrastructure.

— Kelsey Kusterer Ziser, Senior Editor, Light Reading