Telecommunication giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) announced yesterday the launch of its P700-million domestic fiber optic network (DFON) in Bohol.
The DFON is expected to boost connectivity and make the province more attractive for investments in tourism and information and communications technology (ICT).
Included in the project is the installation of 328 kilometers of submarine and inland fiber optic cable which is designed to provide high-speed Internet network in Bohol and provide resilient routes to Mindanao with an initial transmission capacity of up to 40 Gbps (gigabytes per second).
“Fiber will hasten the growth of the outsourcing industry here and bolster the development of the province’s already flourishing tourism business,” said Napoleon Nazareno, PLDT and Smart Communications President and chief executive officer.
Nazareno, along with other company officials and guests launched the DFON project alongside yesterday’s Bohol Day celebration.
The telecoms executive said that the fiber optic connection will help accelerate Bohol’s recovery from the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the province in mid-October last year.
PLDT’s new fiber facility will enable the development of more IT Parks, drive more growth for tourism as well as small and medium enterprises in Bohol, Nazareno said.
“Fiber will now help turn the potential of the outsourcing industry to realize high-income employment in Bohol; BPOs depend on high-speed Internet as well as high-bandwidth private connectivity, and fiber is a key enabler of these services,” added Eric Alberto, PLDT executive vice president and head of enterprise and international and carrier business.
Department of Trade and Industry in Central Visaya Director Asteria Caberte said a number of top BPO companies have already expressed strong interest to locate in Bohol.
“With PLDT’s fiber optic network project, more job opportunities will be open right at the doorstep of Boholanos,” Caberte said.
Meanwhile, Alberto also said that high-speed Internet will enable enteprises engaged in tourism to run their operations more efficiently and effectively.
Outsourcing, tourism and agro-industry are the three pillars of the economic development program of the Bohol provincial government.
The new fiber network will also provide the needed ICT support for the new international airport to be built in Panglao.
Arvin Siena, PLDT group head for network planning and engineering said that the company is now initially enabling the infrastructure in Tagbilaran City, and the municipalities of Baclayon, Dauis, Corella and Valencia.
“Our plan is to enable the entire Bohol province with fiber,” he said, adding that the project is slated for completion in the next two to three years.
Siena likewise bared other developments of the company in Bohol, which will include enabling 3G mobile connection in all municipalities in the province, rolling out eight long term evolution (LTE) sites, seven FTTH (fiber to the home) sites and 37 sites for DSL broadband.
In Bohol, PLDT and Smart’s subscriber base is comprised of some 5,000 households and 600,000 mobile users respectively.
Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/p700-m-fiber-optic-network-launched-in-bohol/