DITO thinks CSR for big launch
A commercial launch has usually a grand celebration, with concerts of big parties and grand store openings. But we are not going with that
The mobile network services of DITO Telecommunity Corp. will be initially offered in 15 areas in the Visayas and Mindanao next week. It will mark its debut through a philanthropic event.
During state-run PTV’s Laging Handa briefing on Tuesday, DITO chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said the company wants its “first commercial endeavor to be a CSR (corporate social responsibility) event.”
“A commercial launch has usually a grand celebration, with concerts of big parties and grand store openings. But we are not going with that,” Tamano said.
“I can’t go into details yet but we will have a CSR project that will specifically benefit Mindanao and Cebu,” he added.
No frills launch
Unlike its rivals, the Dennis Uy-led telco also confirmed that it will not be tapping A-list celebrities and big-time K-Pop stars as ambassadors.
DITO is set to commercially launch its mobile network services in Carcar, Cebu City, Consolacion, Danao, Liloan, Mandaue, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando and Talisay in Metro Cebu.
Residents in Panabo, Tagum, Carmen, Davao City, and Digos in Metro Davao will also get first dibs on DITO’s services.
The third telco has passed its first technical audit, breaching both its internet speed and population coverage commitment for the first year.
The auditor said DITO provides a minimum average broadband speed of 85.9 megabits per second (Mbps) for 4G and 507.5Mbps for 5G.
Speed target to be met
However, Tamano underscored that the telco will “stick to the promised 27 Mbps to manage expectations.”
The company’s first-year coverage reached 37.48 percent or 37 million households based on the 2015 population data. The reach covered a total of 8,860 barangays.
DITO has already secured an interconnectivity deal with rivals Globe Telecom Inc. and PLDT Inc. to allow customers from other network to make mobile calls and send SMS to DITO users without additional charges.
DITO, formerly Mislatel Consortium, was awarded a permit to operate as the third telco in July 2019.
The consortium is composed of Davao businessman Uy’s Udenna Corporation, Udenna’s subsidiary Chelsea Logistics Holdings Inc., and Chinese state-owned China Telecommunications Corporation.