The unusually candid remarks come as the recently passed Konektadong Pinoy law is expected to make it easier for more foreign telecom and satellite players to enter the Philippines.
This means services backed by groups like American tycoon Elon Musk’s Starlink and other broadband satellite players are being viewed as among the biggest threats facing traditional telecom operators.
“It’s fancy, it’s exciting, but yes, I mean, by all means, come to the Philippines and let’s slug it out, guys,” he said.
“We’re not gonna back out from that fight,” he added.
‘Four minutes if you’re lucky’
“When you send an SMS and it’s delayed by 30 seconds, galit na galit na tayo, di ba [if messages are delayed, customers get frustrated]?” Jimenez said.
“Do you know how long it takes for a direct-to-cell service to send your SMS? Four minutes if you’re lucky,” he said.
“And then by the time you get the message back, it’s another four minutes. I don’t know who’s gonna pay for that,” he added.
Telco’s 10-year spending hits almost P700 billion
The executive also pointed to the extensive reach already built by traditional telecom operators, saying PLDT and rival Globe Telecom, Inc. now cover about 96 percent of the Philippine population through terrestrial networks.
PLDT alone deployed around P60 billion for capital spending and upgrades in 2025. This adds to expenditures of nearly P700 billion in the past decade.
Capex spending has been trending lower as the telco giant balances expansion while maintaining positive cash flow.
Niche use case
Satellite services, telcos have argued, best serve remote areas with limited coverage such as far-flung areas, forests and mining operations, to name a few.
“You should try it. I don’t know who’s offering it now. I think Globe is offering it,” Jimenez said.
But he noted the technology is expected to advance although at current levels it remains far from comparable to what telco giants provide at the moment.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
