To bolster its hyperscale initiatives, Philippine premiere telecommunications company Eastern Communications has forged a strategic partnership with ePLDT, the ICT subsidiary of PLDT. With this, Eastern establishes a point of presence in ePLDT’s VITRO Data Center soon to rise in Sta. Rosa, Laguna to provide connectivity solutions to enterprises and hyperscalers who will soon colocate in the facility.
This partnership also steps up Eastern Communications’ operational capacity in disaster recovery by adding a redundancy system for its data services. By acquiring colocation slots with state-of-the-art data center facilities like VITRO Data Centers, Eastern becomes more capable of catering to the requirements of hyperscalers venturing into the country.
“ePLDT and Eastern Communications are aligned in a shared goal to advance the Philippines as a regional hyperscaler hub. Through this partnership, we continue to foster hyper-collaboration within the telecommunications industry through VITRO Sta. Rosa,” said ePLDT President & CEO Victor S. Genuino.
Recognizing the country’s edge in digital transformation, the Philippine government has embarked on initiatives including the Philippine Digital Roadmap, aimed at positioning the country as a frontrunner in digital transformation in Southeast Asia. One of the driving forces behind the country’s digitalization is its progressive data center industry which has shown steady growth in recent years due to the rising demand for digital services and the government’s efforts to attract business process outsourcing (BPO) and IT services.
According to a 2022 report by Quisumbing Torres, the Philippine data center industry is projected to reach $535 million by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 11.4% between 2021 and 2026. Along with this, the Philippines boasts of the second-largest subscriber base in the Asia-Pacific region and has emerged as a promising data center market, alongside Malaysia and Thailand, encouraging the tech-savvy nature of Filipinos.
With 89 million active social media users in 2021 and 74 million internet users spending an average of 10.5 hours online, the Philippines’ high level of digital consumption has attracted data center operators and spurred technology development by hyperscalers nationwide. With this, more and more businesses are expected to embrace cloud and data technology provided by world-class ICT solutions companies like Eastern Communications and ePLDT.
“This collaboration allows Eastern Communications to provide greater value to our customers by offering solutions for data redundancy addressing their disaster recovery needs. We have full confidence in ePLDT’s capabilities, as we drive technological innovation and empower businesses in their digital transformation journey,” said Eastern Communications Co-Coordinator Atty. Aileen Regio.
Aligned with the government’s call for robust digitalization in the Philippines, Eastern Communications enables business growth and empowers organizations to accommodate large-scale applications and utilize flexible and secure storage through its cloud and data services. With this new development, we are ready to embark on a journey towards a digitally empowered nation,” said Eastern Communications Co-Coordinator Vince Tempongko.
As the country’s first and largest data center provider, ePLDT has 10 state-of-the-art VITRO Data Centers strategically located across the country with more in the pipeline. Up next is the 11th facility in Sta. Rosa where Eastern Communications will colocate. Through this partnership, ePLDT expands its portfolio of carriers operating at VITRO Sta. Rosa while Eastern Communications gains the opportunity to augment its data center platforms and strengthen its cloud and data services across the nation.
Once launched in early 2024, VITRO Sta. Rosa will be the largest, most advanced, and first true hyperscale data center in the Philippines, with a five-hectare property and a total facility capacity of 50MW. It meets Rated-3 certification and Rated-4 readiness standards, making it ideal for hosting the most critical and power-intensive IT infrastructure needs of hyperscalers and enterprises. ePLDT’s power capacity will increase to around 200MW once both sites are activated.
Through the years, Eastern Communications has constantly embraced collaboration as the driving force for evolving its ICT offerings. By leveraging these strategic partnerships, the company further solidifies its position as a key player in the country’s evolving ICT solutions landscape.
