Monday April 17, 2006 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
News
Meridian plans expansion of broadband wireless coverage
Telecommunications company Meridian Telekoms, Inc. plans to expand coverage nationwide this year on projections that wireless broadband will make headways as a money-making business line.
Meridian’s pipelined expansion coincides with the indicated inten-tion of Smart Communications, Inc., the country’s largest cellular company that is also a major stock-holder of Meridian, to seize full ownership of the company this quarter. In a document from regulator National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Meridian said it wants to expand coverage to addi-tional 254 areas from its existing service areas.
It proposed to fan out to Abra, Agusan del Norte, Aklan, Antique, Aurora, Benguet, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate, Misamis Occidental, Negros Occidental, Northern Cotabato, Southern Co-tabato, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Rizal, Romblon, Siquijor, Sorsogon, Surigao del Sur, Tarlac, Zambales, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur.
Meridian operates in 17 areas in Manila; Baguio City; Tarlac City; Dasmariñas, Cavite; San Pablo, Laguna; Naga City; Bacolod City; Cebu City; Cagayan de Oro City; Davao City; Zamboanga City; and 76 other areas nationwide.
In the same document, Meridian said it will buy a 5.8GHz WIFI Access Point Module to be able to offer wireless broadband to the said 254 areas across the Philippines.
Broadband connections will allow Meridian subscribers to send electronic mails and engage in online transaction processes like bills payment, shopping, surfing, and information generation at fast speed.
The company did not disclose its capital expenditure for the project. Its certificate for public convenience and necessity with NTC, however, states that it will sink in at least P290.7-million capital investment in five years beginning 2003.
As of 2003, Meridian registered a capital stock of P1 billion, subscribed capital of P250 million, paid-up capital of P212.5 million; and equity of P132 million. It has a legislative franchise under Republic Act 9337.
Approval of Meridian’s expan-sion plan for broadband services is pending with the NTC Legal Department.
Broadband is expected to deli-ver revenues to Meridian as well as Smart and its mother company Philippine Long Distance Tele-phone Co. (PLDT) Group.
PLDT’s broadband internet connections grew 100% in subscriber base to 114,000 users in 2005. This growth pushed PLDT to decide to increase its bandwidth capacity to 20Gbps from 5Gbps this year with a capital expenditure of P9 billion. -- Kerlyn G. Bautista
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