Telco giant PLDT Inc. is considering entering the prepaid fiber market in response to competitors launching their own products aimed at the low-income segment of the country. This could provide more affordable internet connection options for Filipinos.
Joseph Gendrano, the chief technology officer of PLDT, stated that it is possible for the company to introduce a prepaid fiber offering, but they are currently evaluating the market.
Prepaid fiber is being explored to make fiber connectivity more affordable for a wider demographic, as it comes at lower price points compared to PLDT’s postpaid plans, which start at P1,399 per month.
The demand for fixed internet lines has increased during the pandemic due to the rise in hybrid work setups and e-commerce activities.
Internet service providers Globe Telecom and Converge ICT Solutions have recently introduced low-cost prepaid fiber products to meet the growing demand. Both companies aim to attract hundreds of thousands of subscribers this year.
Recently, PLDT received approval to build two new cable landing stations in Baler and Davao as part of the Apricot cable system. This 12,000-kilometer submarine cable project is expected to be completed by early 2025 and will provide connections to Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Guam. It will significantly increase PLDT’s international capacity to over 130 terabits per second (Tbps).
In July last year, the PLDT Group tripled its international capacity to 60 Tbps with the activation of the US-Transpacific Jupiter cable system. This 14,000-km cable system connects a landing station in Daet, Camarines Norte, to Japan.
As of the first quarter, PLDT has a total fiber footprint of over 1.1 million km, including more than 231,000 km of international fiber and over 874,000 km of domestic fiber.
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