MANILA, Philippines, August 1, 2016 – NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group (NYSE: NTT) announced today that PLDT (NYSE: PHI; PSE: TEL), the leading telecom and digital services provider in the Philippines, has strengthened its global network infrastructure by leveraging the 100 gigabit-per-second (100Gbps) connectivity powered by NTT Com’s Tier 1 Global IP backbone. This ultra-high capacity will help PLDT improve internet speed for both individual and enterprise customers.

According to global statistics reports, the Philippines along with the rest of Asia has seen an upsurge in demand for international bandwidth, with a significant 300% growth over the last four years.

“Strengthening our connectivity with NTT Com’s industry-leading Tier 1 IP backbone provides a solid foundation for PLDT and our customers to adopt new business models that will enable all to transform digitally and to connect the Philippines with the global market seamlessly,” said Mr. Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman and CEO of PLDT.“We chose NTT Com because of our long-standing strategic partnership that goes back many years. NTT Com has been a leader in the global telecoms space, having made significant investments in network infrastructure and the delivery of highly reliable services.”

“We are thrilled to take our partnership with PLDT to the next level, by deploying the ultra-high-capacity 100Gbps link for PLDT to carry large volumes of global IP traffic. In this increasingly connected world, bandwidth has become a critical accelerator for business and individuals, which is the reason why we continually invest in upgrading our network technology and infrastructure. We believe the enhanced connectivity for PLDT will largely increase its capacity in handling the anticipated massive explosion of data driven by the rise of disruptive technologies such as Cloud, Big Data, IoT and video streaming,” said Mr. Hideaki Ozaki, President and CEO of NTT Com Asia Limited.

With the 100Gbps ultra-bandwidth connectivity, PLDT will be able to handle traffic bursts and scale-up faster to accommodate subscriber demands. “Higher speeds translate to faster data transmission and thus, improve efficiencies for PLDT and its customers,” Pangilinan added. “Coupled with PLDT’s initiatives to expand and upgrade its access and transport networks, this network infrastructure enhancement will definitely help PLDT improve internet services in the Philippines.”

Backed by top-ranked Tier 1 IP backbone, NTT Com Global IP Network Service provides high-speed, high-capacity IP connectivity covering Asia, North America, Europe and Oceania. As a pioneer of the industry, NTT Com successfully deployed the world’s first 100Gbps digital coherent technology on the company’s transpacific submarine cable system PC-1 and Asia Submarine-Cable Express (ASE) in 2013 and 2014 respectively, to support the ever growing high-bandwidth data demand globally.

The NTT Group has been a strategic partner of PLDT since 2000 with NTT DOCOMO and NTT Com owning approximately 20% of PLDT’s outstanding common stock as of end-June 2016.