Publicly-listed Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. said it is spending P7 billion over two years to expand its broadband network nationwide.
“We would need to spend in the vicinity of about P7 billion to build a nationwide backbone,” PT&T president and chief executive James Velasquez told reporters after the company’s stockholders’ meeting.
“As soon as we sign the final agreement with TransCo, we’re look at 24 months roll-out period. By phases. Luzon, within six months. And then within one year, Visayas. And the other 18 to 24 months would be Mindanao,” he said.
Velasquez said PT&T planned to increase its fiber footprint from 10,000 kilometers to about 20,000 kilometers. PT&T sign an agreement with the National Transmission Corp. on March 15 that would pave the way for the use of the government’s national fiber optic backbone facility.
Under the memorandum of understanding, PT&T and Transco would create a technical working group to firm up the preparation for the eventual use of dark (unused) fiber in the country’s network of transmission lines.