The annual Asian Carriers Conference, ACC, is all set to kick off next week and is expected to attract telecoms professionals from all over the world to learn, network, and collaborate with a community of top executives, leaders, and experts. The event is hosted by Philippine operator PLDT and will be taking place in Boracay, Philippines. With just a few days left to the event, Melvin Jeffrey Chan, VP and Head of Innovations & IoT Business Development at PLDT Enterprise spoke to Ariana Lynn, Senior Editor at The Fast Mode in a brief interview this week. Melvin discusses the key theme of this year’s event - the metaverse - and the role telecoms has to play in enabling it. He also touched on PLDT’s initiatives in this space, the impact of cryptocurrencies and NFTs as well as other monetization opportunities available to operators.
Melvin Jeffrey Chan, VP and Head of Innovations & IoT Business Development, PLDT EnterpriseAriana: What is the role of telecoms in the metaverse?
Melvin: That’s an interesting question. Most people would have heard about the metaverse but may just see it as concerning VR or cryptocurrencies - which is not true, as the metaverse is much more than that. From a telco perspective, gone are the days where telecom operators are just mere providers of connectivity, as we are now able to become co-creators of emerging technologies like the metaverse, and we in telecoms can possibly be the next enablers of different layers of the metaverse, such as cloud, cybersecurity, blockchain enabled applications, edge compute, wearables, AI platforms - and of course, services around our core capabilities in connectivity and data centers. All these possibilities make the metaverse an interesting ecosystem for telecom players to engage in.
Ariana: What would be operators' biggest challenges in powering the metaverse?
Melvin: In my opinion, one of the main challenges might concern the readiness of telco infrastructure to cater for the amount of bandwidth and data that the metaverse will require, which PLDT Group has been preparing for through various efforts and innovations. Secondly, both consumer and enterprise Philippine markets need to be ready for the adoption of the metaverse and the appreciation of its value.
Ariana: What efforts has PLDT put in place to address these challenges?
Melvin: As mentioned earlier, in order to prepare for the influx of data from the metaverse, there are several preparations that need to be done, such as activating cross continental submarine cables to boost international capacity, building data centers ready for hosting the metaverse and all the applications running on it in the cloud, and also expanding both fixed and mobile backhaul across the Philippines to ensure excellent user experience when the metaverse does become accessible throughout the country. PLDT has been working on various emerging technology solutions and designing them to be customer centric, so that our customers can reap the benefits of the metaverse without having to worry about the complexities of using these technologies.
Ariana: How will cryptocurrencies and NFTs change the way subscribers transact in the metaverse?
Melvin: In my view, these will definitely have an impact on how the metaverse will work and will likely act as metaverse currencies and forms of metaverse asset ownership. However, as the exact extent of these technologies is still unclear, PLDT has been keeping a close watch on it and conducting its own extensive research into this area, and when the timing is right, we will be ready to adapt and cater for the metaverse.
Ariana: How does the metaverse augment operators' monetization opportunities?
Melvin: As co-creators and enablers of the metaverse, telco operators such as PLDT stand to monetize many of the platforms, connectivity, digital services and data centers that will power the metaverse. This is already evident in the recent launch of our Jupiter Cable System, which has tripled our capacity to accommodate international data traffic. In turn, hyperscalers, especially those who are equally invested in the metaverse, will gain more confidence in operators who can compete globally in this regard. Operators will be able to offer more value to their customers and dominate the market, while being able to achieve better financial gains.
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Melvin is the Vice President & Head of Innovations & IoT Business Development at PLDT Enterprise. In his current role, he is responsible for innovation, strategy, practice build, offer development and business development across both next generation connectivity technologies and ICT capabilities. Melvin has over 18 years of professional experience including several leadership roles in the IT & telecommunication industry across various functional domains from sales, presales, business development, strategy, operations, to innovations, and geographically across Asia, North America, Africa, and Europe. He is fluent in 7 key Asian languages too.
Melvin obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering & Management from the De La Salle University (cum laude, top of the class) and his Master of Electronics Engineering degree from the University of Tokyo through a full-time scholarship.
