PLDT Group deploying PH's first carbon fiber towers on urban rooftops

PLDT Group is boosting its network buildup with cutting-edge carbon fiber towers, further supporting its 5G rollout.

PLDT starts deployment of carbon fiber towers

Lightweight carbon fiber towers

In a statement, the Pangilinan-led telco said it is deploying the country's first carbon fiber towers, IsoTruss, which is claimed to be over 10 times lighter than steel towers.

The telco giant explained that carbon fiber towers are lightweight and efficient, making them ideal to ramp up the group's network expansion.

It explained these towers are "easier to transport and install, are made of non-corrosive materials, and require almost no maintenance. As such, they are ideal to be deployed on rooftops and coastal sites."

The deployment of carbon fiber towers will support our LTE and 5G rollout, especially in metro areas where the demand for LTE network expansion and new 5G rollouts require lighter tower solutions that can carry equipment to serve at full capacity, said Mario G. Tamayo, SVP and Head of Technology at PLDT and Smart.

Meinardo Opiana, Head of Transport Network and Support Facilities Planning and Engineering at Smart, also stressed that this move reduces the group's environmental impact.

This, as the manufacturing process emits up to 70 percent less carbon dioxide versus the use of steel, Opiana added.

These towers also help our network become more disaster-resilient. Their non-corrosive nature, coupled with their ability to withstand strong winds, makes them ideal for coastal municipalities, where strong typhoons are now more common because of climate change. Their lightweight material, on the other hand, reduces the potential hazards of structural overload for rooftop towers that are already burdened by huge antennas and new tech rollout, Opiana said.

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