Pangilinan-led PLDT Inc. is accelerating its shift from a traditional telco to a digital solutions provider by utilizing the combined power of 5G and artificial intelligence (AI).

PLDT Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer Menardo “Butch” G. Jimenez, Jr. said the convergence of 5G and AI will be key to driving the next wave of growth for the industry.

“It is the power of both 5G and AI that will deliver the magic. Not just one or the other. Telcos have the unique DNA to deliver both, and that’s why we believe the future of the industry depends on how we harness these two forces together,” Jimenez said at a recent forum.

PLDT runs the country’s largest data center network and is the only telco offering GPU services essential for AI workloads.

To support this shift, the company is building smarter infrastructure and ramping up partnerships and workforce training.

“The solo mindset is outdated. If our people don’t embrace AI, there’s no way we can lead with it. We must believe in it ourselves before we can deliver it to our customers,” Jimenez said.

“This is our dream, our vision, and our hope – that 5G and AI together will drive the next generation of growth for telco,” he added.

Meanwhile, PLDT’s mobile unit Smart Communications, Inc. has teamed up with PayJoy to provide smartphone financing to underserved Filipinos, as the country’s smartphone users are projected to exceed 80 million within four years.

Customers can now buy smartphones using just an ID and phone number, with flexible payment terms of four, six, or nine months — no credit card required.

PayJoy uses AI-powered underwriting and phone-locking technology to support responsible financing and currently serves 66 million low-income consumers in the Philippines.