PLDT Inc. said Thursday its home broadband business grew 12 percent in the first half, as it rolled out more fiber-to-the-home lines and offered rich digital content and services.
PLDT said its broadband business under the Home brand reached P15.8 billion in the first half, with subscriber base increasing 10 percent to 3.88 million from a year ago.
PLDT said it accounted for around 66 percent of new residences connected with high speed internet, a clear indicator that it was fortifying its leadership in the market.
Data continued to power PLDT Home’s revenue growth, climbing 15 percent to P9.7 billion in the first half. Voice revenues also increased 6 percent to P6.1 billion.
“Along with our enterprise business unit, PLDT Home has continued to set the pace for service revenues, growing for at least six consecutive quarters already,” PLDT chairman and president Manuel Pangilinan said.
“This springs from their success in executing their digital shift much earlier,” he said.
PLDT Home began its shift to data and digital service in the early 2000s when it introduced its DSL home broadband service. In 2013, the company further boosted its data service business by launching its FTTH service.
Data and broadband revenues now comprise 62 percent of the revenues of PLDT Home.
PLDT said it was stepping up FTTH deployment via its PLDT Smart Fibr Cities program. In the first half, PLDT set up PLDT Fibr SmartCities in Makati, Pasay, Parañaque, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas in south Metro Manila, and in Antipolo, Marikina, Pasig, Taguig, Caloocan in the eastern areas of Metro Manila and Rizal.
PLDT’s fiber expansion program started in Toledo City, Cebu; and then moved on to General Santos City, South Cotobato; Isulan, Sultan Kudarat; Naga City, Camarines Sur, and Legazpi City, Albay.
The footprint of PLDT’s fiber network covered 3.1 million homes as of end-June 2017, up from 2.8 million in December.
“The FTTH roll-out is being complemented by the deployment of hybrid fiber technologies like G.fast, used extensively in Germany and South Korea, to deliver fiber-like data speeds via copper lines in residences and offices,” said PLDT chief technology and integration advisor Joachim Horn.
“The initial target areas for G.fast are existing high-rise buildings that are wired up with copper and would be difficult to re-fit with internal fiber cabling,” Horn said.