PLDT sees partnerships shaping telcos’ future

PLDT INC. said partnerships will become increasingly important in the telecommunications sector as operators expand beyond connectivity into artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services, cybersecurity, and digital platforms.

“Partnerships and strategic alliances will shape the future of telco because no single player can build everything alone anymore,” PLDT Post-Contract Management Head of Legal and Regulatory Group Edgardo B. Lina, Jr. said in a statement over the weekend.

“The industry is moving toward ecosystems — connectivity, AI, cloud, platforms, cybersecurity, and enterprise solutions all require collaboration,” he added.

PLDT said strategic partnerships could help drive growth in the telecommunications sector and support regional development amid industry challenges.

Mr. Lina said collaboration among industry players could also help facilitate policy reforms and enable companies to better navigate a rapidly evolving technology landscape.

Meanwhile, the Pangilinan-led telecommunications company also said it is prepared to participate in the government’s planned AI-native industrial hub in New Clark City.

“I think PLDT should be part of that and we would like to do it. We could do it,” PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan told reporters on the sidelines of the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting last week.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) earlier said the Philippines is targeting to break ground on the AI-native industrial hub within two years as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s AI capabilities.

The BCDA has earmarked about 1,618 hectares in New Clark City for the project, which will host a Pax Silica Coordination Office where technology firms, research institutions and government agencies can work together to build an AI ecosystem.

The initiative forms part of the government’s broader push to attract investments into digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has said it expects the implementation of the National Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Master Plan to attract about $30 billion worth of investments over the next seven years.

PLDT has been expanding its digital and enterprise offerings beyond traditional telecommunications services as demand grows for cloud computing, cybersecurity, data center and AI-related solutions.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., holds a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose