DITO Telecommunity Corp. announced plans to invest approximately P9 billion over the next three years to build 800 additional cell towers and expand its coverage to 90 percent of the Philippine population. The proposed expansion is part of the company’s effort to strengthen its network and reach more consumers in the highly competitive market.
According to Eric Alberto, DITO president and CEO, its cell towers cover only 86 percent of the population. “The average investment per tower for the industry is around $200,000,” he said, emphasizing the scale of the investment needed to meet the target.
Since its entry into the Philippine telecom sector in March 2021, DITO has focused on challenging the dominance of Globe Telecom and PLDT Inc., aiming to disrupt the long-standing duopoly. The company has already invested over P250 billion over the past five years, resulting in more than 7,000 cell sites nationwide.
Looking ahead, DITO aims to reach 16 million subscribers by the end of 2024, and expects to achieve EBITDA-positive status by 2025. The company also projects becoming profitable by 2028.
In ongoing efforts to support expansion, DITO parent firm DITO CME Holdings Corp. targets to raise up to P40.26 billion by 2028. As of the end of 2023, DITO has already secured P5.5 billion through private investments from third-party investors, including Xterra Ventures and Summit Telco entities.
With these plans in place, DITO is positioning itself as a growing force in the Philippine telecom market, focused on improving service quality and expanding its national reach.
