PLDT

Stock performance

History

PLDT, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, was established during the American colonial period and operated for decades as the dominant, at times monopolistic, national telephone provider before the Philippine telecom sector was liberalized in the 1990s, introducing competition from rivals including Globe Telecom. It has since diversified from fixed-line telephony into mobile, broadband, and digital financial services.

Business model

PLDT provides fixed-line, mobile (through subsidiary Smart Communications), and broadband internet services across the Philippines, alongside digital financial services and enterprise technology solutions, competing directly with Ayala-owned Globe Telecom across most of these categories.

Market position

PLDT and its Smart Communications mobile arm are one of the two dominant telecommunications groups in the Philippines alongside Globe Telecom, together forming an effective duopoly across most of the country's mobile and broadband markets.

Country impact

PLDT is one of the largest and longest-established companies in the Philippines and remains central to the country's telecommunications infrastructure, with its network investment decisions closely tied to Philippine government goals around expanding internet access outside major urban centers.