PANGILINAN-LED PLDT Inc. said greater than 3,500 sites are set to achieve web coverage under its rural connectivity expansion efforts, including in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), through coordination with government agencies.
The telecommunications company said it’s intensifying efforts to expand web connectivity in underserved and far-flung areas through coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Education and Department of the Interior and Local Government.
“Strategic collaboration with the federal government allows us to beat long-standing challenges in infrastructure deployment… When private and non-private sectors work in sync, we are able to speed up connectivity rollouts and be sure that even probably the most distant areas profit from the country’s digital transformation,” PLDT and Smart Head of Network Strategy and Architecture Roderick S. Santiago said in a media release on Sunday.
PLDT said the expansion forms a part of its initiatives to enhance connectivity in distant communities nationwide.
“PLDT goals to speed up network deployment across the country, ensuring inclusive access to reliable connectivity to support online learning, enhance the delivery of presidency services and enable businesses of all sizes to take part in the digital economy,” the corporate said.
The corporate said it has worked with government agencies and industry stakeholders to streamline permitting processes within the telecommunications sector as a part of efforts to handle challenges in network rollout.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Useful Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., holds a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose