DITO Telecommunity Corp. is hoping to launch its fifth-generation (5G) home broadband service in the fourth quarter (Q4), its chief administrative officer said on Thursday.

“Within the fourth quarter, gagawin na namin ’to (we will launch it),” DITO Chief Administrative Officer Adel A. Tamano said at an online briefing on Thursday, referring to the company’s fixed-wireless service.

DITO will use its 5G network to provide fixed-wireless connectivity to the home as an alternative to the fiber-to-the-home service.

“This is the fastest [way] of providing fixed broadband, ‘di na kakailanganin kumuha ng [because it does not need] right-of-way for fiber optic cable,” said the company’s chief technology officer, Rodolfo D. Santiago.

Citing the results of DITO’s second technical audit, Mr. Tamano said telco is now able to cover 52.75% of the country’s population.

DITO’s minimum average broadband speeds reached 89.13 Megabits per second (Mbps) and 853.85 Mbps for all 4G and 5G sites, respectively, he noted.

Mr. Santiago said DITO now has a total of 4,384 towers under mobilization, with 3,094 towers integrated and 18,074 kilometers of land-based fiber optic cable laid out.

The telco said it has made its presence felt commercially in more than 233 cities since March.

The company also announced on Thursday the phase one completion of its submarine cable link connecting Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, which has been in service since March this year.

“The [second phase] of the project that links Palawan to the rest of the country as well as provides redundancy for the Visayas and Mindanao loop is soon to begin,” it said in a statement. — Arjay L. Balinbin

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