PLDT set to complete fiber infrastructure in Mindanao

PLDT, Inc. is set to complete the installation of nearly P1 billion worth of fiber optic infrastructure in Mindanao this year, boosting the capacity of its network in the southern part of the Philippines.

The telecommunications giant said on Wednesday that the fiber optic cable link will span nearly 320 kilometers and will run through Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur.

PLDT said this will boost the capacity and strengthen the resiliency of its network to provide “reliable connectivity” to more homes and businesses in Mindanao.

“In line with the government’s thrust of accelerating economic growth in Mindanao, the fortified FOC, which is part of PLDT’s Domestic Fiber Optic Network (DFON), will provide unrivalled communications services to our fixed and wireless customers, including homes and businesses in these provinces,” PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan was quoted as saying. Mr. Pangilinan said the underground fiber optic cables being installed are “less susceptible to cuts caused by strong winds, falling trees, and utility poles.”

PLDT earlier completed three major ICT projects in Davao, namely, its fourth cable landing station, a state-of-theart Innovations Laboratory ( Innolab) — the company’s seventh, and its eighth data center. The data center, considered the first in Mindanao, is expected to expand PLDT’s network capacity and quality of services in the region.

The telco invested P300 billion or $ 6 billion over the last 10 years to roll out the country’s most expansive network infrastructure. —