DITO eyes doubling subscriber base in 2023

Telecommunications' new major player DITO Telecommunity Corp. is targeting to double its subscriber base in 2023, banking on its aggressive coverage expansion.

In a media roundtable in Taguig City, DITO chief technology officer Rodolfo Santiago said that to date the telco hit 14 million subscribers, surpassing its 12 million target for this year.

The telco hit its 12 million subscribers target as early as August.

“We want to double that, at least double,” DITO chief administrative officer Adel Tamano told reporters.

Santiago said that DITO’s current population coverage is about 74%.

This year, DITO is mandated to cover 70% of the population as part of commitments to the government when it secured frequencies, licenses, and its franchise as the third major telco player

Santiago said that the telco had more than 6,000 towers and was “approaching 6,500.”

“The more important [thing] is the coverage and number of cities and population,” he said.

DITO has so far boosted its coverage to over 600 cities and municipalities, effectively surpassing its 70% population coverage target.

On the upcoming implementation of the Sim Card Registration Act on December 27, Tamano said DITO will also “encourage” registration of SIM cards among its subscribers.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) earlier on Monday released the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Sim Card Registration Act, which was signed into law by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in October.

Telcos said they will start selling SIMs in a deactivated mode which users will have to register and have activated following the release of the IRR of the SIM Card Registration Act.

To encourage registration of SIM cards, Tamano said, “We will give them additional data and SIM for friends to encourage people to register.” — DVM, GMA Integrated News