Philippine Telcos Put $2.2 Billion Behind 2026 Network Buildout
PLDT, Globe Telecom and Converge ICT have allocated more than $2.2 billion for 2026 capex, with DITO spending expected to lift the Philippine telecom total as policy work advances fiber and submarine cable plans.
Philippine telecom operators have set more than $2.2 billion in 2026 capital spending, putting infrastructure money behind the government’s push for broader connectivity.
Light Reading reported that PLDT, Globe Telecom and Converge ICT disclosed the allocations through company guidance and earnings briefings reviewed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology as of August 2026.
The total covers the country’s three major operators before an expected contribution from DITO Telecommunity.
The commitments divide the market’s next buildout into several large pools of capital.
PLDT has committed about 55 billion Philippine pesos, or $930 million, for 2026.
Globe has set guidance below PHP59.4 billion, equivalent to roughly $950 million to $970 million.
Converge ICT plans PHP17 billion to PHP20 billion, or about $310 million at the midpoint.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda framed the combined figure as evidence that operators are willing to fund the country’s digital buildout at scale.
In his statement, the spending was tied to additional infrastructure, stronger connectivity, job creation and wider economic opportunity.
The total could rise to between $2.4 billion and $2.45 billion once DITO Telecommunity’s expected investment is included.
That would push the 2026 capex pool further above the $2 billion threshold as the Konektadong Pinoy Act moves into rollout, the National Fiber Backbone grows and officials pursue cheaper nationwide digital access.
The spending is not limited to routine network maintenance.
Aguda connected telecom investment to public-sector delivery, schools, health systems, online commerce, AI workloads, cloud platforms and data centres, all of which depend on reliable broadband reach and backhaul capacity.
Collaboration among rivals has also become part of the infrastructure story.
Last month, PLDT, Globe and Converge submitted a proposal for a nationwide submarine cable system estimated at $500 million.
The project would install new domestic cables rather than simply add capacity to existing systems, and the companies have formed a consortium that aims to complete construction within 24 months after government approval.
If approval is accelerated and construction begins in 2026, the domestic cable project could enter service before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term ends in June 2028.
That timeline makes permitting and coordination as important as financing: the money is identified, but national sign-off determines how quickly new capacity reaches service.
A second policy track concerns underground fiber deployment.
Globe recently backed draft rules before the government-supported Private Sector Advisory Council for a shared-conduit regime covering telecom operators and utilities that place fiber below ground.
Froi Castelo, Globe’s general counsel and president of the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators, said a common conduit policy would give the industry a framework for planning, deployment and long-term management.
The proposal calls for a unified national policy and a single conduit alongside national roads and public rights of way for all qualified operators.
The approach aligns with the Dig Once Policy in Section 17 of the Konektadong Pinoy Act and is intended to reduce repeated permits and road excavations.
For the 2026 capex cycle to produce faster rollouts, the Philippines will need the same coordination on approvals, conduits and shared backbone work that operators are now showing in their spending plans.
