DITO sets P27-B for expansion

The commercial launch will happen by March as the 1,300 cell sites are expected to be completed by end of October

Telecommunications duopoly challenger DITO Telecommunity Corp. plans to spend P27 billion next year to boost network expansion as they are set to commercially launch their operations by March.

In a virtual briefing last week, DITO chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said the investment will bankroll the construction of about 3,500 fourth-generation (4G) sites and 1,500 fifth-generation (5G) sites by next year.

Tamano clarified that the capital expenditure program next year is lower compared to this year’s P150 billion because they had to pay upfront to the technology vendors for the rollout in the next five years.

Based on its agreement with the government, DITO is initially required to build 1,300 towers to cover 37 percent of the population with an Internet speed of 27 megabits per second by January.

Technical start slated

DITO reiterated that it is ready for its technical kick-off scheduled in January. During the so-called launch, the government will have the first audit of its compliance with its commitments.

Authorities will check if DITO has established a network with 1,600 towers capable of covering 37 percent of the country’s population with 27mbps speed.

March launch

Meanwhile, the commercial launch will happen by March as the 1,300 cell sites are expected to be completed by end of October.

The company targets to finish the construction of 2,000 base stations by year’s end. As of 13 September, DITO completed a total of 859 base stations.

DITO previously disclosed that the COVID-19 outbreak, which originated in Hubei Province of China, one of the biggest manufacturing hubs in the East Asian country, have impacted their rollout.