TELECOM | PLDT expands fiber services, satellite connectivity, child protection initiatives
The telecommunications group announced updates across its consumer broadband, mobile network innovation and cybersecurity programs as it seeks to widen internet access, enhance disaster resilience and improve online safety.
PLDT Inc. is expanding its digital infrastructure strategy with new broadband services, satellite connectivity trials, and online child protection initiatives aimed at strengthening connectivity and digital safety across the Philippines.
The telecommunications group announced updates across its consumer broadband, mobile network innovation and cybersecurity programs as it seeks to widen internet access, enhance disaster resilience and improve online safety.
Fiber broadband expansion and digital home services
PLDT’s fixed broadband arm is broadening its portfolio of digital home offerings while accelerating the rollout of prepaid fiber services.
The company said growing household demand for streaming, gaming and smart home technologies is driving increased adoption of bundled broadband plans that integrate entertainment and digital services.
PLDT Home now offers packages that combine broadband connectivity with streaming platforms such as Netflix, Cignal and HBO Max. The company is also promoting home networking products such as mesh WiFi systems and security kits as add-ons designed to transform basic internet access into integrated home services.
Gaming is another focus area. The platform IGV Game Pass gives subscribers access to more than 200 PC games, reflecting the growing influence of gaming in household internet usage.
At the same time, PLDT is expanding its Fiber Prepaid offering to reach households that prefer flexible pay-as-you-go connectivity.
“Our direction is clear: convert network investments into everyday value through richer digital services and accessible prepaid options,” said John Y. Palanca, senior vice president and head of consumer business–Home.
He said prepaid fiber allows more households to access reliable broadband while maintaining sustainable pricing models.
The company reported that its fiber network reached about 1.25 million cable kilometers by the end of 2025, spanning domestic and international routes.
PLDT Home recorded P61.0 billion in service revenues in 2025, up 3% from the previous year. Fiber revenues grew 6% to P59.4 billion, representing 98% of the segment’s total revenue. The company added 392,000 fiber subscribers during the year, bringing its total to 3.76 million.
Satellite connectivity trials for remote areas
PLDT’s mobile subsidiary Smart Communications is also testing satellite-based connectivity to extend coverage to remote communities.
Smart and its partner Lynk Global recently conducted field tests of direct-to-device satellite technology in the Ilocos Norte towns of Burgos, Bangui and Pagudpud, areas along the West Philippine Sea with limited terrestrial network coverage.
During the trials, teams successfully exchanged text messages between smartphones connected to Lynk’s low-Earth-orbit satellites. They also accessed public information platforms, including the websites of Smart, the Department of Information and Communications Technology and PAGASA.
The initiative builds on earlier tests conducted in Catanduanes, another coastal area where traditional network deployment is difficult because of geography.
“Connecting the unconnected has always been at the heart of our mission,” said Menardo G. Jimenez, PLDT chief operating officer and network head.
“The Philippines is an archipelago, and it can be challenging to reach many of our communities, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, with traditional towers.”
Smart said satellite connectivity is intended to complement its nationwide mobile network and could provide backup communications during natural disasters when terrestrial infrastructure is disrupted.
The company plans to expand testing to additional regions, terrains and maritime routes while working with regulators and local government units.
Lynk chief executive Ramu Potarazu said the Philippines could become one of the first countries to deploy satellite-to-phone connectivity at scale.
Cybersecurity and child protection efforts
Alongside network expansion, PLDT and Smart are strengthening efforts to protect children online.
The companies said their Cyber Security Operations Group blocked about 83,000 attempts to access child sexual abuse and exploitation materials in January 2026, a 50% decrease compared with the same period in 2025.
Since the launch of the PLDT Group’s Child Protection Platform in 2021, more than two million URLs linked to illicit online child content have been identified and blacklisted.
Unlike conventional filtering systems that block entire websites, the platform targets specific URLs or digital “hashes,” redirecting users attempting to access prohibited content to warning pages.
“As technology enablers, PLDT and Smart recognize their role in providing a safe digital space that allows children to grow and pursue their passions,” said Roby T. Alampay, first vice president and head of public engagement at PLDT and Smart.
The platform is supported by partnerships with the Internet Watch Foundation and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s Project Arachnid, which provide intelligence and automated detection tools.
Beyond online blocking systems, PLDT Enterprise also supports the Council for the Welfare of Children’s MAKABATA Helpline 1383, a national hotline for reporting abuse cases.
The company has also partnered with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Bureau of Fire Protection to roll out Unified 911, a cloud-based emergency response system hosted on ePLDT’s Pilipinas Cloud. The platform integrates voice, digital and video reporting with GPS-based location tracking, geofencing and CCTV connectivity to help coordinate emergency services.
PLDT and Smart also continue to promote digital literacy through the #BeCyberSmart campaign, which trained nearly 59,000 individuals in 2025 on cybersecurity awareness, online safety and scam prevention.
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