In the first half of this year, leading integrated telco PLDT laid down an additional 95,000 kilometers of statewide fiber footprint, bringing the country’s most extensive fiber infrastructure to more than 524,000 kilometers as of end-June 2021, up 22% from a year ago.
This infrastructure supports PLDT Home’s broadband services as well as its wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart’s mobile networks), ensuring a positive customer experience as Filipinos continue to rely on fast and reliable connectivity for their daily transactions, particularly as the country enters yet another round of COVID-19 lockdowns.
“We continue to elevate the customer experience by making sure that we invest in the strongest, most extensive digital infrastructure,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT Inc and Smart Communications President and CEO. “We still face big challenges along the way but remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver the needs of our customers.”
To meet market demand, PLDT has accelerated the rollout. PLDT had expanded the coverage of its fixed broadband service to 11.3 million homes by the end of June, bringing the total number of fiber-powered ports to 4.8 million.
Panlilio also stated that PLDT’s digital transformation efforts, which began in 2016, will be continued. “We’re working on automating our processes to better how we serve and deliver to our clients,” he said.
Panlilio said that while customer experience would continue to be a priority for PLDT in the future, culture transformation is also critical to the firm’s overall goal of enhancing CX: “Every PLDT and Smart employee is an ambassador of the brand, with a strong focus on improving CX,” he said.
The group’s long-standing commitment to helping the Philippines achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG #9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, is shown in PLDT and Smart’s tireless push to provide connection for all.
“We are determined to doing more to assist Filipinos prosper in this fast-changing digital world,” Panlilio added, emphasizing the importance of superior customer service, digital innovation, and operational efficiency.
