Last month, the telco announced that it reached 3 million subscribers in its network. Chief Administrative Officer Adel Tamano revealed that the telco is adding nearly 20,000 new subscribers on a daily basis.

During a virtual briefing, he said, “We find this very positive. It shows you the appetite of the market for a new player. We are on pace to get around five to six million subscribers by the end of the year.”

Dito hit 2 million subscribers on August 1, after five months of its commercial launch. In February, Dito Telecommunity has passed the technical audit which was scheduled to take last year but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The National Telecommunications Commission said the group delivered on its first-year commitments.

With regard to Dito’s launch, Commissioner Johannes Bernabe of the Philippine Competition Commission said, “That, of course, will also require our close monitoring to ensure the allocation of a significant amount of 5G frequency given to it will also redound to the benefit of consumers, such as their commitments under the terms of reference to ensure a timely and speedy implementation of the roll-out of the telecoms services that they undertook to provide will be again complied with.”

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Dito is set to become the third telco in the Philippines and end a duopoly in the telecom market. Currently, the telecom market in the Philippines is dominated by Globe Telecom and PLDT.

According to reports, Dito, which is a joint venture between Udenna Group and China Telecom, vowed to provide an average broadband speed of 27 megabits per second. Its network currently covers around 37 percent of the country’s population. The technical audit for Dito was conducted by independent auditor R.G. Manabat and Co. It revealed that DITO’s average broadband speed hit 507.5 Mbps for 5G, and 85.9 Mbps for 4G.

Dito is set to launch in the Philippines in March. Initially, the telco is expected to offer its services in Manilla, Cebu and Davao. Recently, it was reported that the Bacolod City government has ordered the telco to stop the construction of a cell site in Purok, Himaya, Barangay Alijis. According to them, Dito is violating section 301 of the Presidential Decree 1096 or the National Building Code of the Philippines.

With regard to Dito’s launch, Commissioner Johannes Bernabe of the Philippine Competition Commission said, “That, of course, will also require our close monitoring to ensure the allocation of a significant amount of 5G frequency given to it will also redound to the benefit of consumers, such as their commitments under the terms of reference to ensure a timely and speedy implementation of the roll-out of the telecoms services that they undertook to provide will be again complied with.”

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In this regard, Joel Agustin, Globe senior vice president for program delivery told the media, “This is just the start because Globe recognizes the value of connectivity as the rest of the country continues to cope with the demands of the new normal. Our aggressive network builds and investments in areas that matter to us, where our customers need the service they deserve, will continue in 2021. Our rollouts in previously underserved areas will set the stage for more builds as we reach out to more far-flung areas in the country.”

Last month, GCash, the mobile wallet platform of Globe Telecom, raised over $175 million in investment from private equity company Bow Wave Capital Management (Bow Wave) and shareholders. In a statement, Globe Telecom said the cash injection raised the valuation of the mobile wallet platform close to $1 billion.

The Philippines telecom sector is currently dominated by Globe Telecom and PLDT, however, the newly formed Dito Telecommunity has revealed it is planning to launch in the country by March this year. The telco also said it is confident it will pass the government technical audit which is due this year. Dito earlier planned to launch at the beginning of last year, however, the plan was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dito is a joint venture between Udenna Group and China Telecom.

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This fiber infrastructure supports PLDT’s mobile unit Smart’s mobile networks, which is available in around 95 percent of the country’s cities and towns. Last year, the telco raised around $600 million in a fully-online investment roadshow. Back then, the telco revealed that it will use the funds to refinance its existing loans and also pay for network upgrades.

PLDT announced that it has set the terms of its 10-year and 30-year bonds—the latter representing a landmark issuance for a non-government entity in the Philippines. The notes were priced at a fixed rate of 2.5 percent and 3.45 percent, respectively, and payable semi-annually.

Philippines-based telecom operator Dito Telecommunity has revealed it is planning to launch in the country by March this year. The telco also said it is confident it will pass the government technical audit which is due this year.

The telco earlier planned to launch at the beginning of last year; however, the plan was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dito, which is a joint venture between Udenna Group and China Telecom, is looking to clear the technical audit during January 2021, its chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said.

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The telco earlier planned to launch at the beginning of this year; however, the plan was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dito, which is a joint venture between Udenna Group and China Telecom, is looking to clear the technical audit during January 2021, its chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said.

DITO chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago revealed that the telco has deployed around 1,532 towers across the Philippines. While it is rapidly adding to its capacity, currently it has the capacity to connect 37 percent of the population to connectivity speeds of 27 mbps. The telco plans to have around 2,000 towers by the end of the year to almost cover half of the country’s population.

He told the media, “Safely, with 2,200 towers will cover the minimum 51 percent coverage. But we’re not targeting just 51 percent – just like the 37 percent, we want the margin to be very, very safe so that our confidence of meeting our technical audit will be quite not challenging already.”

Dito has teamed up with Udenna Infrastructure Corp (UIC) to carry out part of its mobile network rollout in the Philippines. It was reported by the local media that UIC will also construct Dito’s tower network as well as the deployment of its fibre optic cables.

Dito will be the third major telco in the Philippines after it launch. Currently, Globe Telecom and PLDT runs a duopoly market in the country when it comes to the telecom sector.

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