By Aerol John Pateña/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — PLDT Inc. has partnered with technology firm Cisco Systems Inc. for the development of its IP transport infrastructure which will be utilized for the deployment of a fifth generation (5G) technology network.
The investment with Cisco is part of PLDT’s transport network transformation project which will be implemented within the next three years.
“This investment will raise PLDT’s fiber network to the next level. We mark another major milestone in PLDT’s efforts to help the country gear up for the Industrial Revolution 4.0, enabling us to move up to the next generation of digital technologies, such as 5G, software-defined networking (SDN), artificial intelligence and Internet of Things,” PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said during the contract signing with Cisco last Thursday.
The partnership will enable PLDT and Cisco to deploy technologies on designing and building automated, reliable and scalable infrastructure using PLDT’s fiber optic network to seamlessly deliver customized digital experiences to customers.
The software-defined architecture will enable PLDT to strengthen customer services with highly dynamic and agile networking capabilities as well as cybersecurity to safeguard customer data. The infrastructure will also help the company to manage traffic congestion, minimize network outages, and launch new digital services faster.
“We are building with Cisco, one of the most modern transport networks in Asia by maximizing the capabilities of the fiber infrastructure that we have already put in place,” Joachim Horn, PLDT chief technology and information advisor, said.
“With this network transformation program, we can empower enterprises and businesses and address their needs for speed, bandwidth and digital services quickly and seamlessly,” he added.
Cisco’s Customer Experience team will provide its expertise on end-to-end design, build and deployment of the new infrastructure to extend the network’s reach, reliability and scalability. It will also greatly enhance experiences for PLDT’s customers and build a solid foundation for 5G rollout.
“Our partnership with PLDT shows the breadth of Cisco’s capabilities in implementing a fully automated, software-driven network that can serve millions of subscribers, scale rapidly and be ready for 5G,” said Miyuki Suzuki, President Asia Pacific, Japan and China at Cisco.
PLDT’s fiber network footprint of over 244,000 kilometers is the country’s most extensive fiber infrastructure. Its fiber network also supports the company’s digital services for both its fixed and wireless customers through its four cable landing stations linking the Philippines to major international gateways worldwide.
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