Aside from plans to offer postpaid and enterprise services, DITO is also aiming to offer satellite services as well, as confirmed by CTO Rodolfo Santiago. To make this possible, DITO said that they are targeting to conduct pilot tests for satellite technology within the year, with their main target being remote areas where internet access is a challenge.
Santiago also told reporters at an event in Taguig City that DITO is in talks with potential partners for its satellite service. One of them is UK-based OneWeb Network Access Associates Ltd., a communications company that specializes in broadband satellite internet services. While the deal has yet to be secured, Santiago said that they are expecting it to be finalized “as soon as possible”.
DITO’s move to also offer satellite service is an interesting development in light of the arrival of Elon Musk’s Starlink in the Philippines–where those interested can order a kit that costs Php 29,320 on top of a Php 2,700/month service fee that aims to offer speeds as fast as 200Mbps.
DITO, for their part, believes that there’s a need for a carrier-grade infrastructure for its upcoming satellite services and that those that will benefit from it are provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Mindanao and a number of mountainous areas in Luzon and Visayas.
