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Philippine operator PLDT and its mobile unit Smart Communications report that they have invested around PHP 260 billion in the past five years to expand their infrastructure across the country. PLDT and Smart claim they have invested PHP 73 billion in 2019, ending this year with roughly the same level of capex.
PLDT and Smart also report that their capital spending for 2021 will be 20-25 percent higher than this year. The funds will be used primarily for the expansion of PLDT’s fiber footprint and Smart’s wireless coverage across the country.
Smart reports that it currently has 10,000 sites deployed across the country, including more than 700 new cell sites installed by the end of 2020, despite mobility restrictions and supply chain challenges due to COVID-19. PLDT’s fiber infrastructure currently spans 422,000 kilometers. This fiber infrastructure is compatible with Smart’s 5G, 4G, 3G and 2G networks, which cover 96 percent of the population and are present in 95 percent of cities and municipalities. Smart ended November with 58,000 base stations, 20 percent more than in December 2019.
