Dito Telecommunity eyes 28 million subscribers by 2023

MANILA, Philippines — Telco newcomer Dito Telecommunity Corp. targets to reach 28 million subscribers by 2023, as the company relies on its expanding coverage to get Filipinos to transfer to its network.

Dito chief administrative officer Adel Tamano yesterday said the firm has managed to exceed its goal for the year of getting 12 million subscribers, surpassing the 14 million count on sustained upgrades to its infrastructure.

Tamano believes that for as long as Dito improves the inclusion of its promos, it can sustain the growth of its user base despite the competition posed by telco giants Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc.

“We surpassed the 14 million mark already even though our target for 2022 was just 12 million. We have a great product and our network is improving,” Tamano said.

Dito chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago said the telco, owned by businessman Dennis Uy, hopes to double its subscriber base to 28 million in 2023. To do this, Dito plans to maximize its reach in areas where it now operates.

In September Dito passed the technical audit of the National Telecommunications Commission in compliance with its commitment to secure a certificate of public convenience and necessity.

Based on the audit, Dito registered a population coverage of 72.39 percent as against its target of 70.01 percent for its third year in activity.

“I think by next year more than 80 percent of the population will be covered,” Santiago said.

“Right now we are about 74 percent of the population and only a few areas remain unserviced. We expect that coverage to increase with more and more people benefitting from Dito’s service and of course when your service is good you will survive even without advertising,” he said.

For its fifth year in operations, Dito is required to cover at least 84 percent of the population. The new entrant in the telco industry expects challenges in trying to reach the remaining 20 percent of households that live mostly in far-flung areas.

On the other hand, Dito plans to give out free data bundles to its subscribers once they register their SIM as mandated by Republic Act 11934, or the SIM Card Registration Act.

Santiago said Dito will launch an online platform where customers can file their documents and register their SIM to ensure that the procedure will be convenient and seamless.