PLDT to saturate Metro Manila with WiFi zones

PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) on Monday said it is building a network of WiFi zones in Metro Manila establishments to provide its subscribers unlimited Internet connection even outside their homes or offices.

“This new service is like an extension of our subscribers’ Internet connection at home. Now they can experience premium WiFi service outside their home,” Gary Dujali, PLDT vice president for myDSL Retail Business Group said.

“Users just need to look for the WiFi Zone logo in select establishments to experience high-speed connection from a PLDT WiFi Zone,” he said.

“PLDT WiFi Zones” are being set up in restaurants, malls, gas stations, bars, salons, PC shops, hospitals, and PLDT business offices, among others, starting in Metro Manila and soon in key provincial cities.

The PLDT partner establishments get a boost of up to 100Mbps guaranteed premium and reliable connection for use of their customers.

PLDT landline and myDSL subscribers can enjoy unlimited Internet access in these PLDT WiFi Zones as an add-on service to their basic subscription. “We’re also working on expanding this service to our PLDT subscribers in key provincial cities all over the country,” Dujali said.

In the first half of the year, PLDT’s fixed line broadband subscribers grew by 15 percent to more than 699,000 from 609,000 in the same period last year. The telco’s DSL generated P4.6 billion in revenues in the first half, up 13 percent from P4 billion in the same period last year.

Partly owned by Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd. and Japan’s NTT group, PLDT’s net income amounted to P21.3 billion in the first six months, down from P21.7 billion in the same period last year.

The company’s service revenues fell 3 percent to P69.64 billion from P72.16 billion last year. PLDT shares climbed to P2,266 each on Monday from P2,232 last Friday. –Darwin G. Amojelar Senior Reporter, Manila Times