PLDT contractor sued for damages in Minglanilla

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and one of its contractors were sued for damages over the death of a motorist in Minglanilla which was allegedly caused by the company’s negligence.

The heirs of the late Sergio Genon, who died of a vehicular accident in Linao, Minglanilla on July 19, 2012, filed a civil case for damages against the PLDT and SLL International Cables Specialist Corporation.

Marichu Genon, who signed the complaint on behalf of the heirs, is demanding over P600,000 in actual, moral and exemplary damages as well reimbursement of the litigation expenses from the defendants.

Marichu said her father died after his motorcycle crashed into a barricade installed by the defendants in the middle of the highway. Marichu claimed that her father was travelling at the national highway on his way home to Cebu City from Minglanilla at 5:00 a.m. when he rammed into the barricade because of poor visibility.

The complainant claimed that the defendants failed to put in place the required early warning device that would have warned her father of the barricade ahead. Because of the accident, her family is allegedly drowning debt amounting to P503,072.87.

The money was allegedly used for the hospitalization of her father before he died 12 days after the accident.

The PLDT through its contractor was undertaking the opening/dewatering of manholes and installation or splicing of fiber optic cables along Natalio Bacalso Ave. starting from PLDT Bulacao, Talisay City to the junction of Naga Uling Toledo Road South Poblacion Naga City, Cebu.

Marichu said her father was not the first to figure in a vehicular accident in the area due to the “barricade and trench.” Moreover, she said due to the failure of the defendants to comply the conditions, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was compelled to cancel their permit. - source

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PLDT completes network upgrade end 2012

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) announced Tuesday, September 11, that it finished its P67-billion (USD$1.6 billion) network modernization program ahead of schedule, and that customers should already be feeling the benefits of better service.

“The group’s investments have produced a network that is unrivaled in terms of coverage, capacity, and resiliency,” PLDT President and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno said in a statement released on September 11.

The two-year network modernization program began in early 2011 and the target completion date was end-2012. Finishing early means customers already feel the effects of the program, namely better quality and more reliable service.

The program - which involves expanding cell sites, laying new fiber optic cables and even completing an undersea international cable system - will more than triple voice and data capacity.

“What was already the most extensive and advanced network in the country has been further super-charged with our access network providing the widest coverage via the expansion of LTE sites and a transport network that rides on over 48,000 kilometers (kms) of fiber assets with an additional 6,000 kms of Fiber-to-the-Home rolled out,” said Nazareno.

“We are close to covering the whole of Metro Manila with the more reliable and faster fiber connection and gaining momentum in servicing the rest of the country,” he added.

Nazareno explained that 3G coverage now reaches the majority of the population, while even faster Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technologies are being piloted in a growing number of areas.

Even back-end IT services and platforms for customer relations management, billing and business operations have been revamped.

PLDT also undertook a core network upgrade that added an international undersea cable system that more than doubled the group's international bandwidth capacity.

“No other provider comes close to the network that we have now, not just in terms of capacity but more importantly, in terms of resiliency and efficiency,” stressed Nazareno.

He added that the group is prepared for the "data explosion" that is expected in the future.

Mobile data traffic worldwide is expected to see a tenfold jump by 2016, according to a 2011 study by Swedish telecom giant Ericsson. The predictions have been felt in Philippine telecommunication firms' bottomlines. PLDT alone saw mobile internet revenues nearly double, with 97% growth in the first 6 months of the year, compared to the same period in 2011.

Where Globe stands

Rival Globe Telecom expects its own $790-million network modernization program to be finished by the first quarter of 2013.

Already, the program is close to 50% complete. Upgrades have been completed in several areas including, South Luzon, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Malabon, Navotas, Apayao, Sulu, Tawi Tawi, Zamboanga, Sibugay, Sorsogon and Basilan.

Within Metro Manila, Quezon City is expected to be completed by this September, with the Ortigas Business District following in October, and Makati in November.

Globe President Ernest Cu has stressed that their network modernization is unique because it involves building a new network and not just rebuilding an old network.

“Others mask modernization with simply a business-as-usual change-out of old equipment. At Globe, our transformation is very different because it is indeed building a brand new network,” he said.

While the fiber assets are not as vast as PLDT's, Globe is installing 12,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable, which will serve as the main backbone for providing faster mobile internet.

Globe said it is unrolling 3 times the number of 3G base stations to increase its coverage area and provide better service.

The upgrades are expected to address customer complaints about slow mobile Internet that can be felt on the overloaded older networks.

“In the Philippines, as we have said many times before in the past, the networks were actually built for text traffic and not for mobile internet. SMS networks are characterized by very thin backhaul capabilities. Very fast mobile internet almost requires purely fiber optics in terms of backhaul because of the tremendous amounts of data traveling from the base station all the way to the core and out on the internet,” explained Cu.

The CEO stressed that the new network will have “more capacity, lead to quicker, clearer and better quality call and text experience.”

Cu said Globe was also ahead of schedule and had been updating and installing more than 100 sites a week since this April.

“We are moving progressively forward and at a faster clip. We are ahead of schedule so it’s very likely that we’ll accomplish the total change-out by the first quarter of 2013. Today, there are already marked improvement in cities that are 100% complete,” said the Globe CEO.- source

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PLDT continueing expans FOC infrastructure

Given the rapid increase in telecommunications traffic, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) will continue to spend about 20 to 25 percent of its capital expenditures on its fiber optic technologies.

Rolando Peña, PLDT’s and Smart Communications Inc.’s technology group head said Tuesday that the telco would use the monies for the laying down of more fiber optic cables.

It has already spent, to date, about P40 billion in this effort. This comes to about 54,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables, the backbone of its high-speed data transmission, laid for its network all over the Philippines.

Peña also touted that PLDT's Domestic Fiber Optic Network (DFON) has the largest long-haul capacity in the country at 4.6 terabytes per second.

He explained that fiber optic technology enables the fixed line network to transmit voice, data, and video over the internet at much higher bandwidths, faster speeds, and with better quality.

“This enables us to offer advanced multi-media communications services not only through our fixed line network through fiber-to-the-home services but also through our mobile network using services like Long Term Evolution or LTE,” he added.

Peña said PLDT is “fibering” its network from end-to-end.

“We are bringing fiber up to the home and enterprises as well as to the cell sites for a richer broadband experience of our customers across all business segments. The closer the fiber, the bigger the available bandwidth,” he said.

Global Access International Network

Also part of super-charging PLDT’s fixed line network is the expansion of its Global Access International Network (GAIN) that runs on 12 international cable systems and supported by four landing stations.

“PLDT is the only carrier that has a direct and secure fiber connection to the US where more than 90% of our internet traffic goes amid the popularity of Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Yahoo in the country,” Peña said.

These fiber transmission networks are needed to handle the fast-growing data traffic both here and overseas that is expected to be four times larger by 2016 compared to 2011 based on a study conducted by Cisco.

Another study conducted by Mary Meeker showed that internet usage in the Philippines grew 44% faster in 2011 than it did the previous year, the highest among the top 10 countries with the fastest growth in internet use.

According to the study, the Philippines added 28 million internet users from 2008 to 2011 bringing total internet users at end-2011 to 34 million.

Meanwhile, Smart announced that it has completed linking its Metro Manila cell sites via fiber optic cable as part of its Fiber in the Loop (FITL) project.

"With 100 percent of our Metro Manila network now fibered, Smart can further improve its range of wireless services and technologies such as LTE, HSPA+, 3G, and even 2G,” Pena said.

Unlike traditional copper wiring and microwave radios which transmit data through electric and radio signals, fiber optics uses pulses of light beamed through thin wires of glass.

This ‘optical’ technology allows for efficient, high speed transmission of data even over long distances.

The PLDT group is the Philippines’ pioneer in fiber optic technology. In the 1980s, it became first telco to introduce and deploy fiber optic cables (FOCs). Smart embarked on active fiberization initiatives through FITL projects which began in 2005.

Following suit

Earlier this year, Ayala-owned telco Globe Telecom started rolling out fiber-optic cables, implementing its Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, intended to serve the needs of high-speed data transmission to mobile phones and other data terminals.

In an earlier report, Globe Telecom President Ernest Cu said that its rival network is "merely upgrading" and not modernizing its infrastructure.

"At Globe, our transformation is very different because it is indeed building a brand new network," Cu said.

Cu added that, with Globe's complete replacement of infrastructure, it has "future-proofed the network for better call quality and pervasive coverage. - source

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7 PLDT contractors for P1.8-B network rollout

PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) has tapped seven international and local contractors for the first phase of its P1.8-billion fixed-line fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network rollout program.

PLDT-Smart technology group head Rolando Peña said the contractors are tasked to deliver to millions of Filipino homes the full range of broadband Internet services through the FTTH broadband delivery platform.

The chosen contractors are Chinese telecom suppliers Huawei Technologies, FiberHome, Sunsea Telecom Ltd., and Tyco Electronics, Singapore-based Fujikura Asia Ltd., Sweden’s Ericsson Telecommunications, and Fibercom Telecom Philippines, a local supplier.

“We are fortunate that so many international and local companies are willing to partner with us in this ambitious rollout program. The overwhelming support from suppliers will enable us to deliver the ultra-fast fiber connection to Filipino homes faster,” Peña said.

The first phase of the two-year program, which costs about P1 billion, will be completed by the end of this year with some 90,000 fiber optic lines that “pass by” 1 million homes.

As of mid-October, the PLDT Group has already laid down over 40,000 fiber optic lines, distributed in various residential areas in Metro Manila and some key provinces and cities. “With the FTTH platform which further boosts our super-charged network and which delivers the fastest fiber data connection to the home, PLDT can provide the varying needs of different customers—from direct subscriber line service to ultra highspeed fiber-to-the-home,” Peña said.

The initial FTTH rollout will cover, Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo and Davao.

Peña explained that the nationwide FTTH expansion program will cover about 240,000 access ports from which fiber links can be brought to residences by end-2013. These fiber cable facilities will pass by over 2 million homes.

Earlier, PLDT’s Home Business launched its ultra-fast fiber optic service known as PLDT Fibr.

With an Internet speed of up to 100 megabits per second, PLDT Fibr is initially serving upscale residential villages such as Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village in Makati and Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa.

Soon to experience the FTTH convenience are subdivisions in the following areas: Makati City - Bel-Air Village 1, 2, & 3; Cebu City– Beverly Hills Subd., and Ma. Luisa Estate; Naga City – Jardin De Real; Las Pinas – Portofino Courtyard 3 & Widelots; Cavite – The Parkplace Village, Imus, Ayala Westgrove Heights, and Panderosa Leisure Farm, Silang. -source

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PLDT invests P856M for fiber optic link

TELECOMS giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) and its mobile phone subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) are building an all-new P856-million fiber optic cable (FOC) route that will connect Cebu to Bohol and then run on to Misamis Oriental.

This new facility, which will be completed by September 2013, will significantly boost the resiliency of PLDT transmission links to Bohol and the entire island of Mindanao. The new facility will be initially equipped with 210 gigabytes per second (Gbps).

"We have fast-tracked this particular project because the demand for broadband services -- both from consumers and businesses -- is growing rapidly in the Visayas and Mindanao areas," said PLDT and Smart head of network and IP systems, Rolando G. Peña.

"This will further strengthen our fiber advantage over other carriers. At this point, PLDT and Smart already have over 54,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable assets over the country - several times larger than the resources available to the competition," he added.

The project involves laying down a total of about 450 kilometers (kms) of fiber optic cables from Cebu to Cagayan de Oro City.

A little over 300 kms of that cable will be inland while another 150 kms will be submarine links in the sea between Cebu and Bohol and between Bohol and Misamis Oriental.

The new fiber optic link to Bohol will provide 20Gbps of capacity to the island. The link to Mindanao will carry 190Gbps of capacity.

With communications services in Bohol vastly improved, the Provincial Government will be able to pursue more aggressively its efforts to attract investments from business process outsourcing companies.

"Bohol has been trying to get investors to set up call centers in the province for the past several years. But the lack of robust communications infrastructure has been an obstacle," Peña said.

Improved communications will also benefit Bohol's successful tourism program, which has been growing steadily over the past few years.

Tourist arrivals at the island hit the 550,000 mark last year, up from about 460,000 in 2009. The number is expected to rise further as more visitors take to the province’s famous beach resorts and eco-tourism attractions.

"More and more tourists now routinely expect to have internet access in their hotels, or on their smartphones, laptops or tablets. With the fiber link to Bohol, we will be better able to support high-speed mobile and fixed broadband," Pena said.

The project will also add a third leg to the two fiber optic highways already connecting Mindanao to the rest of the country via PLDT's domestic fiber optic network.

One existing link runs from Cebu to Negros Oriental and then on to Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental, while the other starts in Cebu and then connects Leyte and then Butuan, Caraga region.- source

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Globe strengthens FOC highway in Boracay

Globe Telecom recently confirmed that it has successfully interconnected Boracay through fiber optics, effectively boosting the connections and strengthening the network coverage of the internationally-renowned island.

This was accomplished through the Boracay Submarine Cable System, a two-kilometer fiber optic cable which is able to transmit 80 wavelengths of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing or DWDM systems with a capacity of 40 gigabytes per second (Gbps) per wavelength and is expandable to 100Gbps. This can provide “near to limitless transmission capacity, which will result to crystal-clear voice call and superfast surfing,” according to Robert Tan, Chief Technical Adviser of Globe.

Along with Tan, other key officials from the company as well as project managers from its partner for the ongoing network modernization Huawei, spearheaded the landing of the submarine cable from Caticlan in the town of Malay, Antique to Boracay.

“Definitely, we consider this a major milestone for Globe as we have powered up our cell sites with 3G and HSPA+ connectivity,” Tan said, adding that “this submarine cable system will provide Globe a future-proof infrastructure, along with those for the entire archipelago, ready for the next generation communication technology.”

Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu lauded this development, noting that this further bolsters the progress of the company’s network modernization, which has already breached the 60-percent milestone “in record time.”

“We have finished our optical fiber systems highway to Boracay and this progress is a significant part of building our brand new network. This will bring the level of enjoyment of our subscribers, tourists and vacationers in the area a notch higher,” he said, affirming that “this augurs well for one of the major travel destinations not just of the Philippines but of the rest of the world, amplifying tourism economics and activities in the island jewel.”

Cu said that the building of the Globe network will involve blanketing the whole Philippine geography with the steady progression of the network transformation, which includes far-flung locations, creating seamless coverage for the entire country. The entire infrastructure change-out, according the highest ranking Globe official, is accelerating toward the homestretch earmarked on the first quarter of 2013, “with very encouraging results.”

“This puts Globe closer in delivering our 2012 capacity plans and network quality improvements to bring superior customer experience they truly deserve,” the Globe chief said. - source

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MG Exeo provides for Globe modernization

MG Exeo Network, Inc. (MG Exeo), a joint venture company between Japanese firm Kyowa Exeo Corporation and Cyan Management Corporation, was recently tapped to provide design, project planning, implementation, materials procurement and management services for Globe Telecom’s $700 million network modernization and IT transformation program.

Globe’s massive network modernization is aimed at significantly improving network quality and customer experience, increasing capacity, driving down costs, and preparing the network to meet the growing needs of customers in the country. Main contractor Huawei Technologies Philippines will supply all telecommunications equipment and fiber optic cables for the upgrade.

MG Exeo has been tasked to work specifically on the Telecom Equipment Services and Outside Plant Services categories of Globe’s modernization program. The Telecom Equipment Services consist of infrastructure and equipment survey and installation work throughout the Visayas region, namely in Cebu, Negros, Panay and Bohol.

The Outside Plant Services on the other hand, include the installation of 1,500 kilometers of fiber optic cables nationwide, from the National Capital Region, to Leyte, Surigao, Misamis Occidental as well as the Zamboanga area.

“We are proud to team up with Globe Telecom and its technology partner Huawei Technologies for this milestone project which will provide much needed upgrades to the telecommunications infrastructure in the Philippines,” said MG Exeo president Yutaka Funaki. - source

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Globe Modernization starts rollout of FOC

MANILA, Philippines—Globe Telecom Inc., the country’s second-largest phone company, is laying down 10,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cable this year, as it aims to improve Internet speeds and service reliability for its subscribers across the country.

Following its recent bond issuance that gave the company an additional P10 billion, Globe said it would modernize thousands of its cell sites to cater to the emerging mobile data traffic brought about by the increased use of smartphones in the country.

“This is a far-reaching transformation that would result in vast improvements in Globe customer experience—quick and reliable call connections, instantaneous text messaging, blazing fast Internet browsing and proactively intelligent spot-on customer support,” Globe president Ernest Cu said.

He said that proceeds from the bond offer would all be used for the company’s ongoing network modernization program.

The centerpiece of this modernization is the rollout of 10,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cable in the implementation of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology that will bring high-speed data to mobile phones and other data terminals.

“We fervently believe that with our comprehensive transformation, which will enable us to serve customers better, Globe is advantageously positioned to become the most preferred brand among telecommunications service providers,” he added.

On June 1, Globe officially traded P10 billion bonds in the organized market via the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx). The issuance was priced at 5.75 percent per year for the five-year tenor and six percent per year for the seven-year tenor.

The company said it had opted to issue bonds to take advantage of the availability of cheap funds in the market brought about by low interest rates and benign inflation.

“The P10-billion bond offer is undoubtedly a great investment opportunity. We expect the investment community to aggressively seize the opportunity to benefit from it. I understand that we are already oversubscribed at this point in time,” Cu said. - source

Globe is owned by Ayala Corp. and partner Singapore’s SingTel group.

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Globe PLDT Interconnection in Zamboanga

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The successful activation of local interconnection services between Globe Telecom and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) in Zamboanga is expected to boost the growing information and communications technology (ICT) industry in the city, specifically for the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.

After five years of negotiation, the two major telecom players have completed their network link-up in the city, following the announcement of National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba that the regulatory body expects the immediate implementation of local interconnection services between Globe and PLDT to provide subscribers and business establishments with quality and more affordable telecommunication services.

This year, the NTC paved the way to complete interconnection between Globe and PLDT in Pampanga, Bulacan, and Zamboanga, with four more areas up for full activation before the year ends. With the completion of local interconnection, residents and business establishments, regardless of subscription, can enjoy calling each other without having to pay long distance charges or being charged with toll rates.

“Zamboanga is touted to become one of Mindanao’s biggest economic hubs with its robust ICT infrastructure. After launching our Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax) network in 2009 comes the successful rollout of an interconnected Globe and PLDT network. This is very timely for the city with its vision to provide and attract more business opportunities that will spur continued growth,” said Atty. Froilan M. Castelo, Head for Corporate and Legal Services Group of Globe.

Added Castelo, “We are happy to have been part of this milestone for the people of Zamboanga. Rest assured that Globe will always be at forefront of public service and will continue to work closely with NTC and the local government units to fast track implementation of interconnection services in more areas nationwide.”

Meanwhile, the networks of Globe, Bayan Telecommunications (BayanTel) and Digitel Telecommunications Philippines (Digitel) have been 100% interconnected in all areas of common presence and operations nationwide since April of 2011.

Under Republic Act 7925, the NTC mandates compulsory interconnection of authorized public telecommunications carriers. This aims to create a universally accessible and fully integrated nationwide telecommunications network to encourage more infrastructure investments from the private sector that would benefit the consumers. To date, there are over 30 provinces and cities nationwide awaiting for full interconnection between Globe and PLDT.

Local interconnection means that residents and businesses in various provinces or cities can make local calls without any extra charges. Without interconnection, a Globe landline subscriber would have to pay long-distance rates to call a PLDT, Digitel or Bayantel landline subscriber within the same area, and vice-versa. - source

Click here for more information about the services of Globe and PLDT.

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Globe Underwater Fiber Optic Cable

It was Monday, May 9, 2011 when Globe subscribers panicked after a sudden interruption of the company's landline and internet services. Later, it was found that telecommunication firm’s submarine transmission lines were damaged by a surge of submarine currents.

It’s not a secret though, that deep within our seas, lie miles and miles of fiber optic cables that are responsible for handling all our telecommunication activities everyday.

This complex web of inches-thick lines carries our text messages and emails every millisecond. And just when we thought, that we are now living in a wireless era, the image below speaks a lot that we are indeed still wired.

While services have resumed already, Globe officials assured subscribers that they have now looked into the matter.

“For some reasons hindi po natin masabi, something happens undersea so we just consider this as an act of God. We just really want to say our sincerest and deep apologies sa lahat ng naapektohang subscribers po natin sa Visayas Mindanao area,” Yoly Crisanto, Corporate Communications Head of Globe Telecom said.

In a Follow up report on Cebu Daily News, Crisanto said that their technical team is working round the clock to solve the matter.

Despite this unfortunate event however, it is interesting to know that the Philippines through Globe will become the exclusive landing point of an underwater fiber optic line from the Southeast Asian Japan Cable System come the year 2013.

But how do telecommunication companies like Globe maintain these complicated infrastructures? I mean, we understand the complexity that VECO technicians face when repairing electrical lines, but fixing a cable that sits on earth bed hundreds of kilometers below the sea? - source

I’ve scoured the net to see how international companies do it.

Video Of Underwater Cable Installation in the 1940s

CGI Representation Of How Undersea Cables Are Installed

How Miles and Miles of Fiber Optic Lines Are Brought To The Seas

This Is How They Repair A Broken Underwater Cable

An Undersea Cable Installation Contractor

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