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Fiber optic to boost Baguio economy

BAGUIO CITY (July 28) — The country’s first and biggest nationwide fiber optic network Digital Fiber Optic Network (DFON) of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) is expecting to pump-prime the business scene here as it launches its fiber optic link today. This coincides with the government plan to make the Cordillera as the country’s cyber summit.

“Having a 10-gigabit-per-second transmission bandwidth equivalent to 120,960 simultaneous voice calls, the fiber optic link has attracted and is beginning to lure bigger business ventures in the highland resort city,” PLDT Corporate Business Group Chief Eric Alberto said. Transmission capacity increases by more than 10 times, information and communications technology experts claim.

The Baguio loop is the newest DFON site. Other cities, Makati, Taguig, Dumaguete and Iloilo already have theirs earlier, it was revealed.

PLDT’s Greg Trasmonte said that with DFON, Baguio City is now a viable option for business enterprises.

Alberto bared that with the fiber optic link, a US call center has contracted a space in Baguio City because of the DFON. Client Logic, the first call center locator at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) along Loakan Road here is reportedly beefing up its work force to 2,000 from the present 1,100 as it expands with new communications infrastructure. Another multinational firm locator also at PEZA has also expanded while Texas Instruments (TI), the largest microchip manufacturer, closed its Texas factory in favor of Baguio City, Alberto revealed.

Other businesses and establishments that had availed of DFON are SM, the posh Club John Hay, Moog, Phil. Military Academy, and some schools.

“DFON even uplifts the military’s ICT competencies,” Alberto said.

With DFON, Baguio is seen as a business option outside of Manila, PLDT officials said. “Baguio’s business prospects, with its location, people and climate makes it very suitable for a cyber city,” the PLDT network services group head said.

The DFON set-up in Baguio is more than enough to support the city’s increasing demand for higher-capacity voice, data and video services.

Alberto said that call centers, business process outsourcing companies, banks and manufacturing companies could now set up bandwidth-intensive communications networks like wide-area networks, disaster recovery/business continuity facilities, voice and video conferencing, among others in the city.

This will answer the needs of big companies who decide to locate their operations in Baguio, the executives said.

Ramon Isberto of Smart Communications said the fiber optic link is a way of de-crowding cities like Metro Manila because smaller cities like Baguio can now engage business with the rest of the world via DFON. Entrepreneurs in towns like Sagada in Mountain Province can now sell their products in New York via the DFON, they said.

PLDT considers Baguio City the largest concentration of businesses in the north. It still entices more to come with the DFON.

Alfonso Lao, chair of the Baguio Benguet Chamber of Commerce and Industry said PLDT’s infrastructure investments in Baguio City already have a positive impact on businesses in the city. “Our small and medium enterprises in Baguio are even made more profitable with innovations and infrastructure investments of PLDT. An enhanced DSL capacity is truly a plus.”

The vibrant tourism industry in Baguio can take advantage of a broadband environment by inviting new businesses Baguio Cong. Mauricio Domogan said in a DFON power point. # Lyn V. Ramo and Ace Alegre for NORDIS

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