PLDT, Inc. on Tuesday said it sealed a $28.5-million (P1.5-billion) partnership with China’s Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. to overhaul its wireless service delivery platforms.

In a statement, PLDT said its partnership with Huawei is part of its efforts to improve its fixed and wireless infrastructure, and information technology systems. The company is earmarking a record P50-billion capital expenditure (capex) for this year.

“This partnership will enable PLDT Group’s wireless services under the brands PLDT, Smart, Sun and TNT to become much more agile, efficient and resilient in developing and delivering a growing array of digital services,” PLDT Chairman, President and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan was quoted as saying in the statement.

PLDT Group Chief Corporate Services Officer Ray C. Espinosa said under the 15-month agreement, Huawei will “improve Smart’s online charging platforms and electronic loading for prepaid subscribers.”

“This involves consolidating similar applications for different brands under one system and streamlining business processes through a unified platform and simplified processes,” Mr. Espinosa said, noting it would allow the company’s units to provide personalized offers and bundled services to its customers more efficiently.

Wilson Zang, president of Huawei Revenue Management product line, said the company is proposing the use of its OCS and eLoad Solutions to “accelerate PLDT’s evolution in the Digital Market through this Transformation Program.

“Huawei is confident we can successfully deliver this critical program in a timely way together with PLDT,” Mr. Zang said.

Huawei Revenue Management is a unit of Huawei Technologies.

PLDT’s deal with Huawei comes after President Rodrigo R. Duterte last December said he wants a third telecommunications provider to start operating by the first quarter in order to challenge the duopoly of PLDT and Globe Telecom, Inc. in the country.

“We’ll make sure that we’ll future-proof our network,” Mr. Pangilinan had said in December.

He said PLDT is “trying to get ready in case it happens as early as the first quarter,” referring to the entry of China Telecommunications Corp. (China Telecom), the third player chosen by the Chinese government to invest in the Philippines.

In February 2017, PLDT partnered with Huawei for the research and development on fifth-generation (5G) wireless broadband, which promises lightning fast Internet connectivity.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.

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