Digitel (Sun Cellular) reached 14m subscribers in 1H10

Gokongwei-controlled Filipino telco Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc (DMPI), which operates the Sun Cellular mobile brand in the country, signed up around three million net new customers in the first half of 2010, to close out the period with more than 14 million subscribers. Digitel says its subscriber growth is a product of its aggressive network rollout programme. To date, the cellco has deployed over 6,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) nationwide and continues to expand. The group’s president and CEO, James Go, says his company is installing an average 1,500 BTS every year, including an increased focus on covering remote towns in the provinces. Digitel is spending USD250 million this year to support its network rollout. The money will primarily be spent on expanding its network coverage and further improving network capacity and quality, Go said.