As the competition begins its entry into the prepaid fiber market in an attempt to cater to low-income Filipino consumers with the need for affordable and reliable internet, PLDT is considering joining the fray.
PLDT Chief Technology Officer Joseph Gendrano claimed that while it is “possible” for the company to offer prepaid fiber services, the company is still in the process of evaluating the market.
According to Philstar, Gendrano told that the idea of the business is something that they “always look into.”
Contrasting that of current post-paid offerings that require a monthly subscription on an ongoing basis, a paid service based solely on demand is appealing for giving consumers more control over their consumption but also for its relatively lower price points.
Amid rising demand for internet connectivity and rising consumer prices, particularly during the pandemic, Converge ICT Solutions and Globe Telecom pioneered low-cost products, intending to enlist hundreds of thousands of subscribers within the year alone.
Meanwhile, PLDT is set for continued expansion after receiving the go signal to establish two new cable landing stations that collectively make up a fraction of the Apricot cable system—one in Davao and another in Baler, respectively.
With a prospective completion by 2025, the 12,000-kilometer submarine cable project will provide a link to Guam, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Japan, while also boosting the telco’s international capacity to 130 Terabits per second (Tbps).
As of Q1 2023, PLDT employs a total fiber footprint of over 1.1 million kilometers.