A new day unfolds for PLDT, Smart

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) yesterday unveiled its new logo in line with its move to go beyond its traditional businesses and shift focus to data-driven services.

In a statement yesterday, PLDT said the new logo reflects a fresh brand identity and shows the company’s commitment to better serve customers who are using digital services more and more in their daily lives.

The new logo, which replaces PLDT’s 33-year-old logo, is triangular in shape – a symbol for Delta or change. Its three sides represent the company’s business pillars: exceptional people, meaningful innovations, and valuable customers.

“Taken together, these three pillars create tremendous energy that will enable our customers to achieve their limitless potential. The triangle’s three sides support each other. Thus, an inherent strength flows harmoniously among the sides to sustain the structure,” PLDT and Smart chairman and chief executive officer Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

PLDT’s previous logo was formed through a repetition of the abstract figure of the telephone receiver to complete four sides. Smart has likewise changed its logo.

The release of new logo comes as the company is looking to change its name from “Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company” to “PLDT Inc.” to better represent the new direction being taken by the firm.

PLDT intends to get its shareholders’ approval of the name change in the stockholders’ meeting today.

As part of the greater focus on data, PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. have started work on a three-year plan to transform their networks into the country’s most data capable infrastructure and deliver a wide array of digital services.

For this year, the group has earmarked P43 billion worth of capital expenditures to improve data coverage and capacity.

The group is also looking to allocate about P4 billion to P5 billion worth of additional capex to be used for the utilization of the 700 Megahertz (MHz) band, which it acquired from its joint acquisition with Globe Telecom Inc. of San Miguel Corp.’s telco assets.

The 700 MHz band or  the so-called digital dividend is considered a key to boosting internet services in the country as the frequency has greater coverage and can penetrate buildings and walls.

Apart from investing in infrastructure, PLDT and its various subsidiaries such as Voyager Innovations Inc. and Talas Data Intelligence are also developing and offering digital and financial technology services.

“Rather than allow ourselves to be disrupted by new technologies, we are disrupting ourselves. We have embarked on a digital pivot to enable us to serve the increasing needs of our people’s digital lifestyle and the country’s growing digital economy,” Pangilinan said.