PLDT partners with Japan’s SoftBank

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT Inc. has tapped Japan’s SoftBank Corp. to provide a stable and secure internet service for small, medium, and large enterprise clients in Japan.

PLDT, through its international arm PLDT Global Corp., has entered into a partnership with SoftBank for SmartInternet Suite Ether, an internet connection service that can help address the diverse needs of businesses in Japan for a higher-grade internet environment.

PLDT Global is a technology services firm that provides high-quality communication infrastructure and innovative platforms to its global network of carriers, enterprise customers, and distribution partners.

Under the partnership, PLDT Global will offer SoftBank’s SmartInternet Suite Ether.

PLDT Global president and CEO Katrina Luna-Abelarde said the collaboration is part of a broader PLDT Group initiative to improve customer experiences in and outside of the Philippines.

“Internet connectivity is the foundation of our digital economy. We have been focusing on supporting digital ecosystems needed by our customers and we are excited to partner with SoftBank to achieve this purpose,” Luna-Abelarde said.

PLDT said SmartInternet Suite Ether would allow businesses to access a customer portal that would help them manage and monitor their internet service and usage, apart from providing stable traffic and secure, low latency and efficient internet connection.

It will also allow clients in Japan to directly connect with major telco carriers, internet service providers and content providers.

“Despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic, we’re extremely pleased to be partnering with PLDT Global to bring SmartInternet Suite Ether to even more customers. This is just the first step of our collaboration, and we look forward to creating new opportunities together,” said Norioki Sekiguchi, SoftBank vice president of global business division, enterprise business unit.