PLDT Inc. Chairman, President and CEO Manuel V Pangilinan says the telco could team up with Manila Electric Co (Meralco) to deploy a 5G network across the Philippines. The Business Mirror cites Pangilinan as saying: ‘Yes, we could work with Meralco. It’s a thought discussed internally at PLDT and we are probably the biggest pole user of Meralco’. Although nothing has been finalised, the PLDT official says that using Meralco poles could be ‘ideal’ for the rollout of 5G.
As previously reported by CommsUpdate, earlier this month Smart Communications, the wireless arm of PLDT, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ericsson for the deployment of a pilot 5G network in the Philippines in H1 2019. PLDT said it will kick off the rollout in Luzon, the country’s largest and most populous island – home to about a third of the population. Under the plan, Ericsson will install 5G Radio Access Network (RAN), core, and transport solutions which all parties hope will allow the mobile operator ‘to explore industry partnership engagements, collaborate with schools and universities, and further develop competence in 5G’.
Commenting on the MoU, Pangilinan said: ‘As 5G opens up more opportunities for new services and solutions to offer to our customers, we are investing in future-proofing our network and making sure that our network is ready for 5G’.