Philippine telco PLDT Inc. plans to ‘activate’ its first 5G cell site in the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) in November 2018, making the former US military reservation the country’s first 5G area.
Local press report that PLDT’s mobile unit Smart Communications, Swedish telecoms vendor Ericsson and the Clark Development Corp (CDC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the country’s Smart 5G City. The news comes as President Duterte’s government pushes ahead with plans to select a third major telecoms operator to challenge the dominance of the effective duopoly PLDT and Globe Telecom. In addition to its 5G deployment, PLDT said it will ramp up its LTE coverage in key areas of the CFZ and roll out 5G equipment in the coming months.