Dito gears up for broadband boost

MANILA, Philippines — Dito Telecommunity Corp. aims to capture a larger share in the broadband market through its own products that are now earning six times faster from a year ago.

The telco is gearing up to promote its 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) more to expand its presence in the broadband segment and gain additional consumers and revenue.

Dito chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago said the telco’s 5G FWA services are its response to the emerging trend among providers to offer low-cost internet.

5G FWA has shown potential that it can become a money maker for the bleeding telco. Dito’s broadband revenue increased by sixfold to P213 million in the first quarter of 2025, from P33 million a year ago, outpacing the growth of the telco’s other services.

The segment also now accounts for five percent of Dito’s revenue. As a result, Santiago said the telco is building up promotional campaigns to pick up the pace for its broadband bracket.

“We really are pushing our broadband services, the 5G FWA, because these are the most viable for those that are unconnected,” Santiago told The STAR.

Currently, Dito offers broadband services through the 5G Home WiFi and Unli 5G Home Wowfi, both of which are low priced but promises 5G speeds.

For instance, the 5G Home WiFi’s starter kit can be bought at P4,990 with inclusions of modem router, a Dito SIM and unlimited internet for 30 days that can be reloaded for P1,090 a month.

Based on an Opensignal study, Dito is the fastest provider in the Philippines for FWA broadband. In 2024, Dito recorded an FWA speed of 42 Mbps, outpacing Smart Communication Inc.’s 16.6 Mbps and Globe Telecom Inc.’s 7.5 Mbps.

FWA refers to the kind of broadband service fixed in a single location, but uses wireless signals to transmit bandwidth. When compared, fixed line broadband depends on physical infrastructure, such as fiber lines, to bring connectivity to consumers.

Dito is scrambling for solutions to reverse the financial health of its parent Dito CME Holdings Corp., which has a capital deficiency of P78.04 billion as of March after bankrolling the network buildup of its telco unit.

Given this, Dito is expected to start raising its revenue contribution as its subscriber base is nearing the 14-million level, reached by 7,296 towers across the archipelago.