Leading integrated telco PLDT, its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and ABS-CBN are joining forces to deliver real-time broadcast coverage of the May 9 national elections, as millions of Filipinos troop to polling precincts to cast their votes.
"We thank ABS-CBN for choosing us as their partner in ensuring seamless connectivity for their coverage of the upcoming elections, one of the country's most important historic events. PLDT and Smart are proud to be a part of this nationwide effort to keep our countrymen connected and informed," said Alfredo S. Panlilio, President and CEO of PLDT and Smart.
“We thank PLDT and Smart for their continued trust and faith in our news organization and what we stand for. We look forward to more collaborations with PLDT and Smart in the future as we all aim to keep our kababayans informed, connected, and empowered as citizens of a democratic country,” said Carlo Katigbak, ABS-CBN President and CEO.
PLDT and Smart will provide the best quality of service for the transmission of real-time updates as well as mobile services for news reports from the field during the “Halalan 2022: The ABS-CBN News Special Coverage,” which will begin its marathon livestreaming on the ABS-CBN News YouTube Channel and news.abs-cbn.com at 5 am on May 9 until 12nn on May 10.
Leveraging on 5G, PLDT will enable time-critical communication behind the scenes and in the actual live election coverage of ABS-CBN, which requires high reliability and consistent low-latency connectivity on a large scale, in both wide and local coverage areas to allow ABS-CBN to deliver the most relevant and updated news.
Through this partnership, PLDT plays an essential role in ABS-CBN’s quest to redefine next-generation, anytime and anywhere entertainment and news content, enabling ABS-CBN to reach audiences nationwide and across the globe, in the service of the Filipino.
PLDT, through PLDT Enterprise, has been serving the Lopez Group, including ABS-CBN and SkyCable, as one of the company's top valued clients. These services are underpinned by PLDT's fiber infrastructure, which also supports Smart's nationwide mobile network.
These efforts are in line with the commitment of PLDT and Smart to help the country attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UNSDG 16 which calls for strong institutions.