Above photo: Nokia Bell Labs Managing Partner Stefan Wilhelm (seated left) and NOW Telecom Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mel Velasco Velarde (seated right) sign the Php 118 million USTDA grant in the presence of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink and DICT Undersecretary Angelo Nuestro.

Below photo: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink (fifth from left) joins U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson (fourth from left), Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez (second from right), and representatives from DICT, NOW Telecom, and Nokia Bell Labs Consulting at the signing of the USTDA grant for 5G deployment in the Philippines on January 20.

Manila, January 23, 2023— The United States government, through the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), is providing NOW Telecom Company, Inc. a Php 118 million ($2.15 million) grant to fund a feasibility study for the development of reliable and secure nationwide 5G mobile and broadband networks in the Philippines.

NOW Telecom has selected New Jersey-based Bell Labs Consulting, part of Bell Labs, the research arm of Nokia, to conduct the study.

The grant agreement was signed by NOW Telecom Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mel Velasco Velarde and Nokia Bell Labs Managing Partner Stefan Wilhelm during the 10th U.S.-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue in Manila on January 20.  United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, and Philippines Department of Information and Communications (DICT) Undersecretary for Connectivity Angelo Nuestro witnessed the signing.

“This 5G grant demonstrates the U.S. commitment to developing quality digital infrastructure and increasing access to affordable connectivity in the Philippines,” Assistant Secretary Kritenbrink said.

For his part, DICT Undersecretary Nuestro said, “The open innovation platform that this partnership seeks to give will enable the broader Philippine society to take a leap towards a connected future.  We welcome these opportunities that will improve the lives of Filipinos.”

Under the USTDA grant, the feasibility study will provide NOW Telecom with the necessary analysis, designs, and plans for the phased implementation of the project.  It will also include the establishment of a 5G pilot network at multiple sites in Metro Manila to validate network performance, test 5G use cases, and provide data to inform larger scale deployment.

This project aims to support the digital transformation of the Philippines by helping to meet the growing demand for high-bandwidth, reliable, and secure digital services from households and industry in the Philippines. 

The feasibility study grant furthers U.S. digital policy in line with the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which aims to promote secure digital infrastructure in the region to bolster economic growth and facilitate open digital societies.

Manila, Philippines—Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a grant to Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) for training to advance Smart’s plan to expand 5G services to 96 percent of the country’s population. USTDA made the award to support Smart’s investment in equipment and services from Cisco Systems, Inc. 

“This grant demonstrates USTDA’s commitment to supporting cutting-edge information and communications technology infrastructure in the Philippines, while promoting innovative solutions from U.S. companies,” said Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally (ret.), USTDA’s Acting Director. “We are proud to partner with Smart and Cisco on this project, which will strengthen digital connectivity and bring faster, higher quality, and more affordable digital services to the people of the Philippines.” 

USTDA’s training grant will help Smart, a subsidiary of the Philippines’ largest, fully integrated telecommunications company PLDT Inc., deliver better cloud-based products and services to its customers across the Philippines. This grant builds on previous USTDA assistance that is advancing PLDT and Smart’s efforts to modernize the company’s national fiberoptic network and prepare the Philippines for the transition to 5G. 

“We are excited to witness the continuous development of the Philippines’ digital infrastructure through projects such as this one,” said Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava. “Many Filipinos will benefit from the increased range of Smart’s services, which will reach more unserved and underserved areas in the country. The United States continues to work with its partners to ensure secure and reliable digital connectivity for Filipinos.” 

“We are grateful to USTDA for their training assistance in this undertaking between Smart and Cisco. A well-trained technical team is vital to the success of our overall digital transformation, which will enable us to elevate the experience of our customers,” said Al S. Panlilio, President and CEO of PLDT and Smart Communications. “Our people must be trained and prepared to make full use of the power of these transformative new technologies.”