PLDT to triple internet gateway capacity

Published October 2, 2012 3:18pm

PLDT will invest P560 million to triple the capacity of its internet gateway—the network facility that handles internet traffic going to and from servers abroad—in anticipation of a surge in the number of its broadband customers in the next few years. Internet gateway capacity is critical since the bulk of content accessed by Filipinos, such as Facebook, sit in servers outside the country.

The company will complete the first tranche of its internet gateway expansion program by the end of the year with an initial investment of P205 million.

This will bring PLDT's international gateway capacity to 600 Gbps (Gigabits per second), or double its current capacity. "This will also provide improved services for the outsourcing industry and other businesses that rely heavily on the internet,” said PLDT-Smart Technology Group head Rolando Pena.

The capacity boost will bring PLDT’s capacity close to the terabit mark. It will be completed by the third quarter of next year.

The expansion program is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of next year and aims to provide internet connectivity to service all its subscribers.

According to PLDT, a study by TNS Digital Life 2012 shows that 45 percent of Filipinos access the internet, compared to 36 percent who listen to the radio and 12 percent who read newspapers. — BM, GMA News

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