PLDT ramps up 2016 capex to $1 B
The board of PLDT Inc. has approved higher capital expenditures for this year to support digital initiatives.
PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said during the Smart Unbox event that an additional budget allocation of $100 million was requested on top of the P43 billion capex announced earlier.
The additional allocation is being used for the utilization of new frequencies after acquiring half of San Miguel Corp.’s telco assets in May.
“So our spend this year on capex is likely to be in the neighborhood of P48 billion or a little over $1 billion in order to ensure that the transformation of the network would proceed… to a purely data network starting this year,” Pangilinan said.
PLDT is spending the capex to improve data coverage and capacity to deliver a wide array of digital services to cater to customers’ needs.
The telco is putting more focus on digital services over the legacy services of voice and text messaging, given the subscribers’ changing lifestyle.
In line with its aim to become the preferred digital services provider in the country, PLDT’s wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. announced during the Unbox event it has forged partnerships with video sharing platform YouTube and social networking service Twitter.
The partnership with YouTube involves helping budding content creators upload their own work and broadcast it to the world via upload stations all over the country.
Under the partnership, Smart will be tapping industry experts for workshops that will lead to a selection of the most deserving content creators to fly to Los Angeles in the US to meet and collaborate with the biggest YouTube stars.
Smart’s tie-up with Twitter meanwhile, is intended to enhance customer service by providing a live feedback and faster response system via Twitter account @ SMART Cares.
Smart likewise announced its new initiative Smart Music Live! which kicked off with yesterday’s free-for-subscribers concert featuring Ely Buendia, Up Dharma Down and Nathan Sykes at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Smart Music Live! will also feature perks and meet and greet events for upcoming concerts of artists like Selena Gomez on July 31; In the Mix featuring Third Eye Blind, Panic! At the Disco, James Bay, Elle King and Twin Pines on Aug. 18; and Shawn Mendes in October.
Smart has also launched a new app called Smart Life which provides exclusive perks from establishments, as well as videos, music, and games for users.
“At the center of all these new products and services is our effort to transform our networks into the country’s most extensive and data capable infrastructure, so we are able to deliver faster, more reliable and more affordable internet services across the country,” Pangilinan said.