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PLDT launches new package of business-grade internet and digital solutions

[Editor’s Note: Geared towards the current and future needs of small and mid-size enterprises, PLDT launches a new service package, BEYOND FIBER. Below is their press release.]

MANILA, Philippines – Leading telecoms and digital services provider PLDT, Inc. has launched its newest package of connectivity and digital solutions to help businesses gear up for operating in the New Normal.

Called BEYOND FIBER, the new service package offered by PLDT’s Enterprise Group features a set of curated digital tools ranging from productivity and collaboration tools to e-payments and e-commerce solutions. These services are combined with enterprise-grade WiFi running on premium fiber service—enabling small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) to fearlessly make the digital shift towards long-term growth.

“We at PLDT and Smart are focused on putting the customer at the center of everything we do. Within the Enterprise group, we aim to do this through the launch of solutions such as BEYOND FIBER, which is set to benefit all our customers—regardless of size or industry. We look forward to seeing how this solution will inspire business to look beyond the current situation and take their businesses further,” said Smart President & CEO and PLDT Chief Revenue Officer Al Panlilio.

“Digitalization has now become critical for businesses that want to survive and thrive under the challenging conditions created by the COVID pandemic. We specifically designed BEYOND FIBER to equip businesses with digital solutions tailor-fit to the growing needs of today’s enterprises,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups.

For only P2,500 a month, SMEs and large enterprises alike can avail of the foundational components of BEYOND FIBER: enterprise-grade connectivity via a premium WiFi device and fiber connection, all supported by a dedicated business hotline.

BEYOND FIBER raises the bar by offering a more robust business-grade fiber link with speeds of up to 50 Mbps—harnessing PLDT’s extensive fiber-optic network with over 322,000 kilometers of fiber cables and growing – to better enable the day-to-day business for an office, a branch or for people working from home.

To manage the expanding use of wi-fi connectivity in the workplace, BEYOND FIBER comes with a secure, enterprise-grade wi-fi router. Stores for example can have dual wi-fi networks: one for work, and one for guests. 

For businesses using telecommute or work-from-home arrangements, the WiFi service can enforce certain network policies to support their company processes.  This is made possible by PLDT’s partnership with Cisco Meraki – a leader in cloud-managed IT with unmatched visibility and control.  

On top of this, PLDT is offering a selection of solutions that fit the current and future digital needs of enterprises. This includes productivity tools available through Microsoft 365’s suite of work solutions, collaboration tools via MS Teams, appointments scheduling via MS Bookings.

BEYOND FIBER also offers solutions to protect work devices from cyber-attacks via ePLDT’s Endpoint Advanced Security, to enable cashless and online payments via Paymaya, and to provide secure & private connections through Cisco Meraki Z3.  

“These are the solutions initially lined up under BEYOND FIBER.  We will have more in the months to come. This initiative is designed to help businesses to make  their  digital shift—so that they grow amid the COVID crisis and help power the recovery of the national economy,” Hernandez said.  

For more information on BEYOND FIBER by PLDT Enterprise, log on to  https://pldtenterprise.com/solutions/internet/beyond-fiber . – Rappler.com

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PLDT Beyond Fiber for business launched, plan starts at Php2,500/month

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Gearing up enterprises in light of the ‘new normal,’ PLDT Inc. is rolling out a new business program with “Beyond Fiber”—a comprehensive digital and connectivity solutions.

True to its insinuation, PLDT Beyond Fiber is more than just about fast internet—at 50 Mbps—but also about a slew of productivity, collaboration, electronic commerce, and electronic payment suites.

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In addition, at only Php2,500 per month, businesses who will avail of PLDT Beyond Fiber will get an enterprise-grade Wi-Fi router which they can employ on two ways (dual-WiFi network)—for work and for guests.

Enterprises which are now considering the work-from-home setup are also at a major benefit with the Beyond Fiber as it facilitates and enforces certain network policies that serves as pillar to business operations—done through an active partnership with Cisco Meraki.

PLDT-Beyond-Fiber-Plans

Fueled by Microsoft creations, the package also includes tools that bolster productivity, communication, and organization via the Microsoft 365 suite , Microsoft Teams , and Microsoft Bookings.

Making access to its network a safer place for devices is also the ePLDT’s Endpoint Advanced Security, which is a safety measure designed especially against the probability of cyberattacks.

For cashless transactions, the package also utilizes the PayMaya mode of payment via a well-secured and private connection as established by Cisco Meraki Z3.

Interested parties may choose to enroll in the service and get 3 months free trial via the PLDT Enterprise page . 

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How to avail PLDT Fibr plan 1699?

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PLDT FibrBiz

Fiber Broadband For Business and SMEs

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₱6,500.00 /month

Choose your package, fibrbiz 200 ₱1,000.00.

  • High Speeds Up To 200 Mbps
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Voice Calls

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Packaged Hardware

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Fees & Charges

  • Installation Fee: One-time charge of ₱5,000
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Product Review by

Are you starting your own venture and looking to find the right broadband for your business? Or maybe you’re tired and fed up with the problems you have been constantly experiencing with your current internet provider, to the point that it’s already affecting your business in a negative way. Fret not as PLDT, the leading telecom provider in the country now offers a superior broadband solution fit for businesses and SMEs alike. Introducing, PLDT FibrBiz Plans.

Fantastic Fiber Connectivity

PLDT FibrBiz is SME Nation’s fastest shared broadband internet currently available in the market. Ideal for startups and new businesses, it provides a reliable and secured fiber connection with efficiently fast speed, running on PLDT’s premier fiber optic backbone. Offering optimal performance, these packages will surely allow your enterprise to reach new heights while staying within a reasonable budget.

Broadband Package Features

With the use of fiber technology, your business will enjoy a level of reliability that exceeds what the competition has to offer. For the basic FibrBiz package, it will be capable of reaching burstable speeds of up to 100 Mbps and for the top of the line plan, it can go up to 300 Mbps of high speed, uninterrupted broadband internet. You will also benefit from balanced or symmetrical upload and download speeds so you won’t have to worry of losing bandwidth whether you are downloading huge office files or uploading creative material over the cloud. Another added advantage of this plan is the eligibility of the subscriber to receive 24/7 customer support for any type of technical concern that your business may encounter and needs attending to.

Monthly Service Fee

Listed below are the currently available FibrBiz plans, their corresponding speeds, and the service fee that subscribers are obliged to pay every month:

FibrBiz 100: Speeds of Up to 100 Mbps - ₱6,500 per month

FibrBiz 200: Speeds of Up to 200 Mbps - ₱7,500 per month

FibrBiz 300: Speeds of Up to 300 Mbps - ₱9,500 per month

*Price is exclusive of VAT

Other Fees and Charges

The packages mentioned above will have one-time charge of ₱5,000 exclusive of VAT. Once you subscribe, you will be committed to a lock-in period or contract term of up to 24 months. Discontinuation of your plan prior to this period will incur a pre-termination fee of up to 100% of the remaining months left in the contract.

Freebies and Add-ons

Every single plan includes 1 Static IP address (/32 Block) and comes with a free landline. You can also perform free unlimited phone calls to other PLDT subscribers within the same city or province. For add-ons, you have the option to purchase extra Static IP address, cloud storage, Cignal IPTV, and more. Available to FibrBiz 100 subscribers, you can avail of an additional static IP with 5 usable IP addresses for an just an added ₱2,250 on top of your monthly service fee, exclusive of VAT.

In this day and age, real-time connectivity for both your supplier and client is considered an integral part of a company’s day-to-day operations. Having to immediately resolve any issue or concern from both sides not only improves the efficiency of your business, but will also strengthen your relationship as it enriches awareness and loyalty to your brand.

If you find this option over the top, there are simpler and more affordable packages that are being offered by PLDT. Visit our complete list of PLDT SME Nation broadband plans and compare their features and benefits before choosing the right option for your enterprise.

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Features of Biz LTE

Fixed Wireless Broadband internet access

Fixed Wireless Broadband internet access

Enjoy a plug and play service with no special installations needed

Suitable connectivity for pop up stores or kiosks

Suitable connectivity for pop up stores or kiosks

Provide internet access and greater flexibility for deployments

Runs on the fastest mobile Network

Runs on the fastest mobile Network

Elevate your business operations running on the fastest LTE in the country as hailed by Ookla and OpenSignal*

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Build a strong online presence for your business and effortlessly connect with you customers all-day with PLDT Beyond Fiber’s simple and secure business-grade fiber enterprise plan

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Features and Benefits of BEYOND FIBER

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The 90-90 Advantage

Never worry about lags, slow uploads, and fluctuating connections. Get a minimum speed of 90Mbps or 90% of your subscribed speed at 90% reliability from your 100Mbps plan.

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2 Wi-Fi Networks in 1

Set up a separate network for guests. Safely share your Wi-Fi connection to them without revealing your password. Block selected apps and sites to boost productivity

THE  90-90  ADVANTAGE

Redefining  “Business-grade”  internet by delivering a minimum speed of  90% of the subscribed speed  at  90% reliability  to ensure a connection that’s  more resilient and consistent, at any time of the day.

Make the digital shift with our BEYOND FIBER plans

Keep your business worry-free and secured in the new normal with our all-in-one digital solutions

BEYOND FIBER 2490

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  • Business-grade fiber of 100Mbps
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BEYOND FIBER 1990

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PLDT rolls out premium fiber internet

MANILA, Philippines  — PLDT Inc. is gearing up to fully launch this year its fastest fiber internet subscription yet—priced as much as P49,999 per month—for its high-end customers looking to upgrade internet connectivity in the advent of increasing data demand.

On Monday evening, the Pangilinan-led company introduced Gigabit Fiber plans that range from 1 gigabit to 10 gigabits for P7,499 to P49,999 per month.

The 10-gigabit plan is about 29 times more expensive than the 200-Mbps (megabits per second) plan—the cheapest fiber offering—priced at P1,699 per month.

The gigabit plans also include subscriptions to TV streaming platforms and internet security package with cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, among others.

Jeremiah de la Cruz, PLDT senior vice president and head of consumer business, said they have been receiving inquiries for the high-end product offering.

Upper economic class market

These customers—who are usually in the upper economic class—are interested in the fiber plan because they want the fastest internet speed possible, the PLDT official explained.

De la Cruz said the fiber product is useful for households where multiple devices are connected to the internet at a time.

The high-capacity internet product is seen to accommodate a smart home setup where internet-enabled appliances and devices are linked via a network and can be remote-controlled.

“You can see the changing needs in everyone’s households. The number of applications that you need will actually start to increase,” de la Cruz said.

READ: PLDT weighs prepaid fiber market entry

As this develops, de la Cruz said they were also studying the prepaid fiber market to offer cheaper connectivity to users—a move that was already made by its competitors Globe Telecom Inc. and Converge ICT Solutions.

To support its internet services, PLDT has been ramping up its subsea fiber cable projects.

The telco giant activated in 2022 the US-Transpacific Jupiter cable system, a 14,000-kilometer (km) submarine cable network linking Daet, Camarines Norte and Japan.

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It also set to complete by next year the 12,000-km Apricot cable system. It provides connections to Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan and Guam.

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pldt business plan fiber

PLDT targets mainstream adoption of premium fiber internet

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PLDT Inc. is planning to extend its gigabit fiber plan to Cebu and Davao following its initial deployment in Metro Manila, a company official said.

“Yes, Cebu and Davao will also be actually in our rollout list,” Jeremiah M. de la Cruz, PLDT senior vice-president and head of consumer business, told reporters on Monday.

For now, the Pangilinan-led company offers the service only in some areas in Metro Manila such as Makati City,  Mr. De la Cruz said.

The offer, which ranges from P7,000 to P49,000 for one gigabit and 10 gigabits, respectively, is marketed to high-end customers, significantly higher than its P1,699 fiber plan offering.

Mr. De la Cruz said that the company expects the product to become more mainstream over time as more customers seek faster and more reliable internet connections in line with the expanding digital landscape.

“Gigabit fiber… is a little bit more expensive than the average. That’s true. Like all new technologies and all the changes, it starts off in a certain segment. It is something that will start off in the premium segment, but we are looking forward to it over time, actually making its way to becoming a very mainstream product,” Mr. De la Cruz said.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

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The keys to deploying fiber networks faster and cheaper

Telecom operators are investing heavily to connect more people to high-speed fiber networks. In 2022 in Europe and the United States alone, their networks reached 15.2 million more households than the prior year, compared with the 9.9 million they added in 2018. 1 “Report finds 18.4 million U.S. fiber broadband homes, highest-ever deployment in 2018,” Telecompetitor, December 11, 2018; “Fiber Broadband Association survey counts 68M total FTTH passings in U.S., sharply trending,” Cabling Installation & Maintenance, January 11, 2023; “EU Telecoms ready for a good 2024,” New Street Research, December 18, 2023. Incumbents, newly formed fiber companies, governments, and private investors are all active in the sector, to the extent that more than one billion homes worldwide now have high-speed fiber access. 2 “IDATE – World FTTX markets,” IDATE Market Intelligence, December, 2021.

Still, that figure means that some 40 percent of the world’s population remains without fiber access, indicating significant potential for further growth in the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) market. The extent to which companies capture that potential, however, could hinge on their ability to improve returns on invested capital, as new markets are likely to be those with relatively high costs to serve and low revenue-generating potential. The most attractive markets already have fiber connections.

Reducing costs wherever possible is therefore crucial. But maximizing market share early on is critical too, and this depends upon speed to market. Experience suggests that the first FTTH operator to enter a market—whether overbuilding existing networks with fiber or rolling out new networks—can win significant market share as customers switch from cable and DSL providers. A second, later entrant, however, is likely to capture a significantly smaller share as the pool of customers willing to switch shrinks (Exhibit 1).

Of course, government policies and regulations will play a role in shaping market outcomes. To encourage high-speed access, governments might, for example, allow competitors to deploy fiber on incumbents’ ducts and poles, provide financial incentives to create wholesale fiber infrastructure companies, or offer subsidies to build fiber in rural and remote areas.

But companies’ own operational capabilities will also go a long way in determining how they fare. In our view, there are four main ways in which incumbents and greenfield companies can improve their internal processes to make their network rollouts both faster and leaner:

  • Use artificial intelligence (AI) to target low-cost markets with high potential penetration levels.
  • Establish an operating model that drives coordination and efficiency.
  • Automate resource-intensive functions.
  • Strike long-term partnerships with suppliers.

Our experience suggests the combination of these tactics can accelerate deployment by as much as 20 percent while lowering costs by between 15 and 25 percent, with results discernible within eight to sixteen months (Exhibit 2).

Use AI to target low-cost markets with high potential penetration levels

Companies looking to roll out new fiber have typically targeted markets likely to yield the highest revenues, which has often meant focusing on urban areas where population density and household income levels are high. But as more fiber is laid, these high revenue-generating opportunities are becoming scarce, requiring companies to put greater weight on the cost to serve a market. There’s little point in targeting an area with high population density if penetration rates are likely to be low because of low household income. The cost to serve could prove prohibitive.

Instead, companies will want to identify markets where they can find the best balance between penetration potential, average revenue per user (ARPU), and construction costs. This can be a complex and time-consuming task given the multitude of variables, beyond socio-demographic ones, which are likely to impact the balance. These include the length of network routes required, deployment methods (aerially on poles, using existing underground ducts, or trenching new ducts), the availability of high-speed backbone infrastructure, equipment and labor costs, and competitors’ deployment plans.

AI-assisted planning models are adept at handling such analysis and can improve outcomes. The experience of one operator illustrates the point. Its original fiber build strategy, formulated by an experienced team, underperformed. Costs were higher and take-up weaker than anticipated. For the next deployment phase, the company opted to use an AI-assisted planning model that considered a huge range of variables; these included the distance of every residential building from the nearest fiber route, a factor that impacts costs, and the number of wireless subscribers in each area, a factor that impacts take-up as wireless subscribers often upgrade to fiber. As a result, the model identified markets where the cost of getting fiber to homes was 5 to 7 percent lower than the markets initially targeted and potential penetration levels up to 10 percent higher, significantly enhancing forecast returns.

Building an effective AI planning model starts with getting the basics right. All financial, customer, and network data will need to be available. There should be no gaps and inconsistencies. From here, advanced AI models can forecast returns on network deployment at a granular level, looking at zip codes, city blocks, or even individual buildings, for example. And with the addition of more parameters, the model can analyze even more scenarios, such as where competitors might build fiber in the future, helping to minimize the risk of overbuilding, or the returns on alternative broadband technologies, such as fixed wireless.

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Establish an operating model that drives coordination and efficiency.

Fiber rollouts can only be as fast and efficient as a company’s operating model allows. By standardizing processes, setting up a harmonized IT stack, and establishing a “nerve center” to coordinate the project pipeline, companies can drive coordination and efficiencies within and across functions including network deployment, operations, IT, and procurement. These measures have the potential to cut deployment costs by a percentage point or two while simultaneously accelerating deployment.

Standardize nationwide processes

Many companies find they have different operational processes, procedures, and practices in place for different markets, as well as for different projects within the same geography, and even for different teams working on the same project. In some markets, companies outsource design, for example, but in others they conduct the work internally. In some, they award construction to a single company while elsewhere they divvy up the work. Some projects might have 20 milestones while other similar ones have 30, with comparisons made even trickier because of different nomenclature. This kind of variance means that best practices aren’t always followed, slowing the pace of deployment and cranking up construction costs as team members learn to adapt to diverse ways of working. It can also lead to mistakes, necessitating costly rework.

Standardization helps solve this. It entails the meticulous mapping of all steps in the deployment process, documenting all relevant best practices, and defining governance mechanisms so that any deviations from the standard are identified early. Regular audits, performance metrics tracking, and compliance checks all help in this respect. Change management is important too, as all employees will need to train to adopt newly established practices. Network design and architecture should also be standardized; that could include establishing the optimal distance between nodes, for example.

Harmonize the technology stack

Many operators find themselves saddled with cumbersome processes and high costs because of the legacy tools they use to manage deployment. This can be particularly problematic for incumbent operators with legacy copper or cable networks that are now laying new fiber ones, as well as for companies that have expanded through acquisitions. It isn’t uncommon to find companies with multiple different systems for managing inventory, projects, capital deployment and other resources. Consolidation of these tools is a lengthy process that requires a transition road map aimed at avoiding disruptions, but it also offers substantial rewards in terms of cost savings and deployment speed.

One North American broadband company that had different deployment tools in each of the regions where it operated found itself struggling with the quality of its data and rollout effectiveness. Inventory entries were missing or duplicated, for example, and there were manual, unreliable notes regarding the completion of milestones. A phased plan that eliminated redundancies and introduced a new tech stack with modern, out-of-the-box SaaS solutions alongside customized in-house built tools quickened the pace of subsequent fiber rollouts by almost 10 percent while also reducing deployment costs.

Create a nerve center

Problems inevitably arise when a company is deploying fiber in dozens of different sites and markets and orchestrating multiple vendors and material suppliers, threatening schedules and budgets. Yet business-as-usual processes, whereby individual project teams work without visibility across the entire deployment program, can be slow to detect such problems and their potential impact or to resolve them. For example, the fact that a particular supplier has failed to deliver on schedule to two sites might go unnoticed other than by those working on the sites. But the failure could be a sign that the supplier has run into significant problems and won’t deliver on time to the next ten sites either, seriously jeopardizing the deployment schedule. Likewise, a decentralized approach can mean work slowing to a halt in one place because of a supply shortage, even though the needed material is sitting in an intermediate warehouse.

A nerve center, by contrast, collects and analyzes data that gives a bird’s eye view of how deployment is progressing relative to milestones. This might include real-time updates on permitting applications, inventory availability, and overall construction timelines. With this information, the nerve center’s cross-functional team, which includes representatives from the various markets, IT, procurement, and data analytics, can work in an agile manner to resolve issues promptly, as they have both the capability and authority to mobilize resources and address them themselves, or to escalate them when necessary. The nerve center established by one operator detected a delay in the delivery of specialized fiber-optic cables from a key supplier. Procurement approached the supplier and ascertained the problem was unlikely to improve imminently, prompting the nerve center team to reallocate cable stocked in a warehouse in a different region—a move that saved further project delays and the associated costs.

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Automate resource-intensive functions.

Companies need to manage thousands of tasks to deploy new fiber infrastructure. Add in human error, and it’s not hard to see why the process is often riddled with inefficiencies that slow progress and inflate costs. Automation can help remove some of them, particularly in the following areas.

Network design

Designing a fiber network is a complex process, entailing route planning, node placement, capacity and redundancy planning, simulation and testing, and more. The process can take many months, depending on the project’s complexity, topography, and the team’s expertise. But automation can help accelerate it in a variety of ways. For example, an automated process can generate optimal routes and node locations based on topographical data, existing infrastructure, and coverage requirements. It can forecast network capacity and simulate performance under different conditions, such as peak usage or unexpected network failures. Importantly, automation also frees up employees to focus on higher-value tasks—perhaps working on designs that might require bespoke solutions because of the unique nature of a construction site or validating other designs. Our experience suggests that automation can reduce the time it takes to design networks manually by up to 30 percent.

Site surveys

Automation can cut the time it takes operators and their contractors to survey sites for deployment. Data collection, terrain analysis, and obstacle detection, all once time-intensive tasks requiring in-person visits, can now be automated with the help of digital twin models that combine relevant public and proprietary data, including satellite imagery, geospatial databases, and elevation models. Site visits only then need to be made if data is missing or needs confirmation. Yet even here, companies can expedite the process with the help of computer vision models and lidar sensors that produce high-resolution 3D maps and models of the area. Such methods have helped speed up certain site survey timelines by between 20 and 25 percent.

Obtaining permits for fiber construction is one of the most time-consuming rollout processes, often running into weeks or even months. To a certain extent, the local authorities or utilities issuing the permits dictate timelines. Nonetheless, poor management by telco operators can cause unnecessary delays. All too often, company employees find themselves trawling through different websites trying to ascertain which data (and in which format) they need to submit for dozens of different permits for, say, digging a trench or interrupting traffic, then trying to keep track of the progress of every application. Even in companies where the process is more structured, it often remains manual. Establishing a standardized, automated permit center—one that understands regional permit requirements, collects and validates the necessary data, creates and submits the permits, and then tracks their progress in real time—streamlines the process. As a result, it can boost application approval rates by 10 to 20 percent and cut the time needed to acquire permits by as much as 15 percent, while freeing up employees to concentrate on verifying more complex permit requirements.

Construction management

Project managers commonly oversee as many as 500 distinct jobs on a project, each involving perhaps 60 or so individual tasks—these are hugely time-consuming processes that are almost certain to overlook existing or brewing problems. A real-time automated construction management system drives efficiency by establishing and monitoring exactly when all routine tasks and activities need to be completed, by whom, and in what order, to keep the project on schedule. If a milestone is at risk of being missed, the system triggers an alert. In this way, project managers can dedicate their attention to evaluating the impact of any delays and resolving them. In addition, many routine tasks can be automated—creating a bill of materials or dispatching a crew, for example—leaving the manager with more time to handle complex ones, be that optimizing the network topology for maximum efficiency or addressing unexpected challenges that arise in the field. A real-time construction management system can, in our experience, quicken the pace of deployment and reduce deployment expenses by 5 to 8 percent.

Strike long-term partnerships with suppliers

Building long-term partnerships with suppliers in lieu of transactional, one-off relationships can offer substantial rewards. Long-term partnerships help suppliers plan their production schedules and allocate resources in line with operators’ needs, giving the relationship a degree of stability and predictability that can often deliver cost savings greater than those likely to be achieved through short-term price discounts offered in a one-off, competitive bidding process. Within a partnership, suppliers may be willing to negotiate favorable terms, bulk discounts, and customized solutions that extend beyond a single project. By working in close collaboration with their suppliers, some operators have been able to secure a construction cost advantage of between 5 and 8 percent over those with a more transactional approach to supplier management, taking into account the cost of materials and labor.

Collaboration also shields operators from delays and disruptions because of a more secure supply chain—an advantage some operators have sought to maximize by changing their ordering practices. Rather than ordering materials a month in advance and hoping for timely delivery, they share supply forecasts up to a year ahead and commit to purchasing a sizable portion of that volume, perhaps up to 75 percent. The advance notice and demand certainty help suppliers meet their obligations, though penalties can still be applied if there are fulfillment delays.

Forecasts must, of course, be accurate, which will mean installing robust demand planning systems that incorporate reliable data and machine learning tools that are closely integrated with deployment and financial planning. Efficient inventory management systems are pivotal too. By offering comprehensive visibility into stock levels across all stages of the supply chain, these systems ensure the availability of the right materials at the right locations and times, increasing the accuracy of demand forecasts shared with vendors.

The speed and costs of fiber deployment are central to its viability in many of the world’s still unserved markets. The four measures described here—using AI to target low-cost, high-penetration markets; establishing an operating model that drives coordination and efficiency; automating resource-intensive functions; and striking mutually beneficial, long-term partnerships with suppliers—can help incumbents and new operators improve both measures. Within eight to sixteen months, the result could be both higher fiber market share and higher ROI, while helping to ensure that millions more people get access to highspeed connections.

Anton Lysenko is an associate partner in McKinsey’s Bay Area office, Tiago Silveira is a partner based in the Lisbon office, and Manglam Tewari is an associate partner in the Seattle office.

The authors wish to thank Fan Gao, Gerardo de Geest, and Diogo Rodrigues for their contributions to this article.

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