“The ongoing fortification program for our Northern Luzon domestic fiber optic network (DFON) will make our network more resilient and less susceptible to fiber breaks that could result in the disruption of our services. These areas are vulnerable to fiber cuts due to typhoon, landslides, and public works diggings,” PLDT Network Group Head Rolando Pena said.

The fortification program will benefit the estimated 11 million subscribers of PLDT mobile subsidiaries Smart Communications and Sun Cellular and around 450,000 customers of PLDT HOME as well as enterprises in northern Luzon.

He reported that PLDT has so far completed work in the network covering Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, and Cagayan Province.

Pena noted that below-ground installation is ongoing for the San Fernando, La Union to Candon, Ilocos Sur link. This segment is expected to be completed by March this year.

Meanwhile, the Cagayan province link from Tuguegarao to Ballesteros covering 124 kilometers is expected to be completed by October.

The PLDT Group has continued to invest in its fiber optic network to reach over 78,000 kilometers, far ahead of competition.  As a result, PLDT's network remains unrivalled in terms of capacity, coverage and resiliency.

PLDT earlier this year completed the installation of over 150 kilometers of submarine fiber optic cables that will link the island of Bohol with the major network centers in Visayas and Mindanao, boosting the telco’s services in the fast growing tourism and BPO hubs in central Philippines.

It has also completed the rollout of nearly 300 kilometers of state-of-the-art submarine fiber optic cables linking Palawan province in western Philippines to the rest of the PLDT network to meet the rapidly increasing demand for robust and reliable telecoms and data services in one of the country’s top tourist destinations.