PLDT, Inc.
Company Background
PLDT is the county's dominant telecommunications carrier. The company commands around 70% of the fixed line segment and about two-thirds of the wireless cellular market via the Smart Communications, Talk 'N Text and Sun Cellular brands.
PLDT also has a minority interest in business process outsourcing company SPI Global. Its business thrust in recent years has been aimed at becoming a multimedia company from a traditional telecommunications services provider. It has moved to increase its media assets in line with this goal.
Through its trust fund, PLDT now controls two broadsheet newspapers, the Philippine Star and BusinessWorld, and has a minority stake in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It also owns TV5, the nation's third-largest broadcaster. In August, the company made a 10% investment in Rocket Internet, a German startup engaged in e-commerce.
PLDT is majority owned by First Pacific, a Hong Kong-listed company controlled by Indonesia's Salim Group. It is also backed by Japan's NTT group, which has an around 22% stake in the company. With 576-billion-peso ($12.8 billion) market capitalization at the end of 2013, PLDT is one of the Philippines' most valuable companies.