PLDT expands Makati data center

The PLDT Group said on Thursday it has expanded its data center in Makati, adding 12 megawatts (MW) of capacity to power nearly 1,600 new racks.

With the additional capacity, Vitro Makati 2 (VM2) will now have a total capacity of 3,360 racks running on 20 MW of power capacity, representing a 150-percent increase.

“The expansion of VITRO Makati 2 will enable EPLDT to accommodate additional requirements of existing customers and to keep up with the country’s ever-increasing data center demands,” Victor S. Genuino, President and CEO of EPLDT, said.

The facility’s new capacity will be ready by March. It is seen to “accommodate surging data center demand in the country,” especially in areas such as digital financial services, ecommerce, and digital media, among others.

VM2 is PLDT’S largest operational data center.

“We will continue to scale and push boundaries to maintain EPLDT’S position as the premier data center hub in the Philippines,” Genuino added.

Aside from VM2, PLDT has nine other data centers in the Philippines and is currently building its 11th in Laguna.

Vitro Sta. Rosa will have an initial power capacity of 14MW in early 2024 and will further increase to 50MW once fully operational, which will make it the largest and most advanced data center in the country.

The company said its net income in January to September 2022 reached P27.4 billion, up 45 percent year-on-year. This includes P22.3 billion in pre-tax gains from the towers sale up to the third closing. Core income, excluding the impact of asset sales and Voyager Innovations, grew to P25.4 billion in the same period.

Consolidated service revenues increased by 4.5 percent to a ninemonth all-time high of P141.9 billion, as consumers thrived on their digital lifestyles in the new normal.

In the same period, consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose by 6 percent to P75.4 billion, also an all-time high.