PLDT eyes more DSL clients

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Dominant telephone carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) seeks to increase subscribers of its digital subscriber line (DSL) three times to hit the one-million mark next year despite the threat of slowing demand. Gary G. Dujali, PLDT assistant vice-president and category head for DSL, said the growing appreciation for broadband and lower computer prices would pave the way for the explosion of the service next year. "Next year will really be different for broadband. Laptops are cheaper and they come in different colors. On the consumer side, more people appreciate broadband now, even the moms. The Internet is like electricity already," Mr. Dujali said. PLDT has more than 300,000 myDSL subscribers and around 400,000 wireless broadband subscribers nationwide. Its wireless broadband brands are SmartBro and WeRoam. Cebu is the biggest city, having more subscribers than any other city, Mr. Dujali said. He declined to elaborate, except to say that PLDT corners more than 50% of the broadband market in Cebu. "Cebu will play a crucial role [in increasing PLDT’s broadband subscriber base]," he said. PLDT has come up with a TV advertisement that will be shown only in Cebu. Mr. Dujali was optimistic that they would hit their target subscriber base next year via marketing campaigns. "We are changing the way we are doing business now. There are a lot of ways for you to get DSL. You no longer have to line up at our business centers. You can just go to our dealers," he said. PLDT has tied up with computer dealers to offer desktops and laptops with DSL connections. Some computers come with a free three-month DSL subscription and free installation. Mr. Dujali claimed that PLDT offers more choices to subscribers, noting that the company does not limit the desktop or laptop model that can be availed of in a package. — Marites S. Villamor, BusinessWorld