PLDT Global widens virtual footprint

MANILA, Philippines — The international arm of fully integrated telco PLDT Inc. is expanding its virtual points of presence (VPOP) to more countries in Asia, North America and Europe.

PLDT Global Corp. (PGC) said the expansion is aimed at equipping businesses with best-in-class technology solutions as the pandemic continues to accelerate the digital transformation of companies.

The company said businesses in Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt, Paris, New York, Miami, Seattle and Toronto would be able to maximize PGC’s data solutions for on-demand, high speed, and software-defined interconnection.

Through its VPOPs and software-defined networking (SDN) solutions, PGC said global carriers and enterprises could enjoy benefits such as faster cloud access, traffic programmability, greater agility, capacity to generate policy-driven network supervision, and the ability to leverage on network automation.

“Online services, including e-commerce, video streaming, and gaming have significant contributions to network traffic. And as the number of internet users and the popularity of digital platforms continue to grow, PGC is here to help businesses achieve network modernization and agility, through our VPOPs and services,” PGC senior vice president and chief commercial officer Albert Villa-Real said.

PGC offers greater flexibility and scalability in network connectivity through the adoption of SDN technology, which allows the connection and deployment of data-intensive applications and services worldwide.

“This portfolio of connectivity solutions addresses the ever-growing need of businesses to simplify their network management. SDN enables customers to upscale their network infrastructure with as little disruption as possible,” Villa-Real said.

PGC has also developed several solutions such as Free Bee to help Filipinos abroad conveniently connect to their families and loved ones back home.

Free Bee is a mobile app that provides users ways to call and send messages to their loved ones with or without the internet.

It helps its users to conveniently pay Philippine bills and send load to any Free Bee, Smart and TNT customer.

Free Bee users can also enjoy various content or discover services from brands and businesses that are tailor-fit for OFWs and their families.

“PLDT Global is a company that knows the Filipino. We are in the best position to bring the services of international businesses closer to the overseas Filipino market. Wherever there’s a Filipino, PGC is there to serve through our products, digital platforms, and network of partners all over the world. Through our people, especially those stationed abroad, we gain an intimate understanding of overseas Filipino realities, and can create solutions that are relevant to their needs,” Villa-Real said.