Atty. Enrique D. Perez on 3 July 1997 (PhIX Launch)

A pleasant evening to our distinguished guest from the Department of Transportation & Communication, department of Science & Technology, and the National Telecommunications Commission; Executives & Staff of Internet Service Providers; PLDT officers and executives; our friends from the print and broadcast media, ladies and gentlemen.

Today marks the Philippines quantum leap into the information superhighway as we introduce the very first Internet Exchange in the country. This is a historic evening as well all gather here to witness the unveiling of a new era in Philippine  Internetworking.

1996 was a tremendous year of growth for the Internet industry in our country as more and more people were talking about and using Internet. There were about 50 Internet Service Providers, or ISPs, in 1995. Today, the number of the fastest growing Internet communities in the South East Asian region, if not the world.

With this rapid growth in our Internet industry, the need to establish a network interconnection infrastructure is timely, relevant, and valuable. The introduction of our very own network access point, to be called the Philippine Internet eXchange or PhIX, shall localize the exchange of Internet traffic within the Philippine. As a greater number of ISPs compete to connect to the global Internet, the PhIX offers independence from international Internet traffic conditions as it centralizes local traffic within the country, eliminating the need to route locally exchanged information via the host servers located overseas. In essence, this service is a measure that will sustain growth for all ISPs, increase efficiency in routing and improve the general connectivity and reliability of local Internet users to access content and the timely delivery of information.

The PhIX service is one of PLDT's contributions to the growth of telecommunications through its support of the Internet industry. Your telephone company realizes the need for relevant Telecommuni- cations infrastructure as we know that a vital Internet environment is now a critical component to attaining Philippine 2000. And so, we respond with PhIX. With PhIX, we foresee attaining efficiencies that will bridge the gap and hasten the delivery of available information and resources to and from various sectors of our society.

The PhIX shall be a catalyst in realizing our government's vision of making itself and its agencies more accessible to the people.

Information is empowerment. Information is the currency of the future. Giving every Filipino access to information will accelerate our empowerment as we march towards the 21st century. And as we prepare to celebrate the country's centennial, it is fortuitous that information is spreading faster with more ISPs nationwide. PLDT, through the PhIX, shall link these roads built by ISPs and connect them to the global information superhighway.

Let me take this opportunity to thank, once more, the 5 pioneer ISPs, namely: Infocom, IPhil, Moscom, Virtualink, and WorldTel, who took the initiative to be the first to peer among themselves. These ISPs saw the light in using the service to raise the quality of their customers' access as the customers are the real beneficiaries of the PhIX. Only in working together can we achieve our mission of a truly Philippine centric Internet.

We assure the ISPs of our support and cooperation to build a partnership that shall be lasting and mutually beneficial. Lastly, we enjoin other ISPs to be part of the PhIX to extend the benefits to as many on-line Filipinos today.

Thank you and good night.
 

Message of Cesar G. Reyes

Distinguished members of the press, colleagues in the IT industry, officers and staff of PLDT and INFOCOM Technologies, ladies and gentlemen.... good day. Allow me first of all to express my deepest appreciation for your attendance in this event.

I would like to begin by congratulating INFOCOM on the establish- ment of its new network, "INFOCOM II" and in its continuing resolve to provide the most advanced and efficient Internet service to it's subscribers as possible.

When the Internet stormed into the Philippines in 1994, never before had the Filipino experienced a more potent medium with possible for every class of society. The dynamic nature of this new medium has given birth to a new sect of individuals all thriving on the Internet and its benefits. In Metro Manila alone the number of subscribers has surpassed 40,000. The growing number of individuals and corporations who utilize the Internet have likewise prompted a growth in the number of ISPs. When INFOCOM was launched in 1995, it came in as the country's fifth. Today, there are a total of 129 ISPs. The total number of Internet users is projected to reach 150,000 subscribers by year's end.

Many factors contributed to the tremendous rate of growth of the Internet industry. Companies have began to realize the added productivity derived from Internet access and so have began to realized the added productivity derived from Internet access and so have increased investments not only in the Internet, but Intranet as well. Competition has made access rates more affordable, expansion towards the provinces has brought in more subscribers and the introduction of new and faster technology has made the Internet easier to access and more user friendly.

With the excitement of dramatic growth in a new emerging segment of business comes many challenges. While some of these challenges seemed at first, daunting true to the spirit of the Internet, INFOCOM forges ahead with renewed conviction, and a new domain name, info.com.ph. Combined with the expertise of PLDT and Sequel Concepts, and the dedication and hard work of INFOCOM's team of young professionals, we are confident of bringing the many wonderful benefits of the Internet to as well. The new network shall be bolstered by the regional hubs already in place, the availability of domestic and international roaming, more value-added services, its pioneering connection to the Philippine Internet eXchange, the country's first Internet hub and, of course, INFOCOM's 2 Mb gateway to the United States.

When PLDT joined forces with Sequel in INFOCOM, it was not merely an opportunity to join the bandwagon. Rather, it was a realization that telecommunication was redefining itself, and INFOCOM was the ideal starting point to chart these new, exhilarating and formidable directions. The new millennium shall make the adventure even more interesting shall make the adventure even more interesting, and PLDT envisions INFOCOM to lead the way.

Thank you.