EASTERN Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (ETPI) said it is eyeing growth of nearly a third this year driven by its value-added and customer-focused products and services.

Despite the current macroeconomic difficulties, Eastern said in a statement that its revenues would grow 28 percent this year from P900 million in 2008.

Eastern offers Internet services such as Eastern DSL, Go Premium Internet card, DSL Pre-paid among others. Eastern also has value-added services such as dataHUB, a secure reliable data facility, and Eastern Digimaps for map-based information management solution.

Besides the traditional bandwidth and connectivity solutions, the company’s new products include wireless access, services for high-end Internet cafés, a new data center, business applications and special packages for small and medium enterprises and corporations.

“What Eastern is doing right now is a testament to the company’s customer-centric thrust—our genuine concern for our client’s business, our more consultative approach to addressing their needs, and our commitment to being a relevant and sensitive partner. We are confident that our innovative products, partnerships and robust processes will help strengthen the businesses of our clients,” Edwin Domingo, head of sales, business development and corporate planning of Eastern, said.

Eastern earlier said that it is eyeing locators in economic zones and industrial parks in the southern part of Luzon near its local cable landing station as potential customers.

The Ongpin family-owned firm said it is laying down a 240-kilometer fiber network to service industrial parks and economic zones in Tagaytay, Cavite, Laguna and Batangas.

The backhaul project is a strategic initiative to help Eastern realize its long-term revenue goal of P5 billion for the next five years, the company said.
 
The backhaul infrastructure and support costs P1 billion.

The company’s expansion will serve multinational corporations and business process outsourcing firms, which are relocating to various economic zones and industrial parks located in those areas.

Eastern said the expansion would also reach Nasugbu, Batangas, enabling it to connect to its submarine cables thereby providing greater global connectivity.

The company started operating in 1878 as a firm that offered telex and telegram services. It has since evolved into a full-service provider of world-class communications services, including data and Internet, leased circuits, regular landlines and broadband.

Source: Manila Times, Business, p. B2