PLDT to offer gigabit speed broadband

MANILA, Philippines — Telco giant PLDT Inc. is out to regain its crown as the fastest internet provider in the Philippines, launching a set of broadband products that offer gigabit levels of speed.

PLDT is set to introduce a new fiber offering called Gigabit Plans next month, promising subscribers a connectivity speed of as high as 10 Gbps.

For background, 10 Gbps translates to a total of 10,000 Mbps, and basic broadband bundles offer a download speed of just 100 Mbps.

This means downloading a 20 GB file, such as movies, or loading a high-quality video will take only seconds when hooked to a 10 Gbps connection.

PLDT said several devices can run high-bandwidth apps simultaneously without delay at such a level of internet speed.

PLDT head of consumer business Jeremiah de la Cruz said Gigabit Plans will bring in broadband speeds of 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps, 5 Gbps and 10 Gbps.

Subscribers will also get as part of the bundle top-of-the-line devices and video services, with cybersecurity protection from Kaspersky for two years.

The Gigabit Plans, according to De la Cruz, will initially be offered to a select segment of customers, but will also be launched to the mass market eventually.

He noted that the need for gigabit levels of broadband will grow over time, as Filipinos migrate most of their essential and leisure activities online.

De la Cruz said Gigabit Plans will serve what the telco industry refers to as extreme power users, or individuals who consume at least five TB of data monthly, far from the average consumer that requires just 550.2 GB.

“What we are doing is the equivalent of the transition to 5G from 4G in mobile communication. We are pushing the boundary in internet access in the Philippines, giving the Filipino consumer a taste of first-world connectivity,” De la Cruz said.

De la Cruz added that the launch of Gigabit Plans supports PLDT’s goal of narrowing the digital gap, providing subscribers with the option to upgrade their home service.

Right now, PLDT said 10 Gbps connections are only available in developed economies, including Norway, South Korea and the US.

PLDT used to hold the title as the best broadband provider in the Philippines, but the award was snatched by Converge ICT Solutions Inc. in 2023.

Based on Ookla’s evaluation, Converge outperformed its industry rivals in the speed contest last year, snapping the five-year run of PLDT as the operator to beat.