PLDT: We?ll maintain Sun?s unli services

Sun Cellular will continue to offer unli voice and text services even after PLDT completes its investment in Digitel Inc., Sun’s parent company, PLDT President and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno said in a statement.

“Our intention is to maintain Sun’s current offers and further improve them. One clear opportunity is mobile broadband,” Nazareno said.

“Leveraging the combined networks of PLDT, Smart and Sun, we plan to expand the reach and raise the quality of mobile broadband services for Sun subscribers. This is in line with our Internet for All advocacy.”

Some quarters had raised concerns that PLDT’s investment into Digitel would lead to the end of Sun’s unli offers.

“That’s not going to happen. There is a market for unli services and we intend to be the best in serving that market,” Nazareno said.

“Over the next three months, we shall study further Digitel’s operations and networks. This will enable us to draw up specific plans in order to realize the synergies between PLDT, Smart and Digitel,” Nazareno said.

Earlier this week, top officials of PLDT and JG Summit Inc. had signed an agreement under which PLDT will acquire JG Summit’s shareholdings and other economic interests in Digitel for the sum of P69.2 billion.

PLDT will also undertake a mandatory tender offer for the remaining common shares of Digitel held by minority shareholders. This could raise the total transaction price up to P74.1 billion.

Payment would be done in the form of PLDT shares valued at P2,500 each.

To complete the transaction, PLDT needs to obtain regulatory as well as shareholder approvals in a process that it hopes to finish in the next three months.