On August 7, 2000, Digitel was granted a permit by the NTC to establish and operate a Nationwide Cellular Mobile Telephone System using Global System for Mobile Communications and/or Code Division Multiple Access technology. The following month, the company founded the Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc. to assist in its wireless service. On December 11, 2002, the government granted DMPI, through Republic Act No. 9180, the right to establish a permanent franchise to create and manage a wireless telecommunications service. DMPI launched its wireless service, known as Sun Cellular, in March 2003. From mobile telephony, Sun Cellular expanded its services to voice, messaging and international roaming services, to wireless broadband and value-added services for consumers and businesses. In 2011, PLDT acquired Digitel, including Sun Cellular, from JG Summit Holdings. Although PLDT also owns Sun's former competitor Smart Communications, the two networks initially remained separate entities with completely independent mobile network infrastructure and corporate management structures. Since 2016, Sun has been integrated into the Smart network in terms of mobile network infrastructure and corporate management and has been transitioned into a Smart brand. Aside from the migration of all Sun data users to its new parent by way of them having to change their Internet settings, postpaid subscribers have been migrated to Smart "in order to efficiently handle their needs following access of Sun customers to Smart’s ‘nationwidest’ network." As of February 2020, Sun's logo has been changed to reflect it being a full-blown brand of Smart
The Agora Marketing Company of the Year in 2009 Award for its excellence in pioneering intra-network unlimited services and revolutionizing the country's telecommunications industry practices.
The 2004 Philippine Marketing Excellence Award
The 2005 Silver Prize for Most Effective New Service Introduction and Top 25 Philippine Companies recognized by Business Mirror and Stern Steward & Co.
In 2011, Sun Cellular won the Philippines Mobile Service Provider of the Year from the Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Best Practices Awards in Singapore.
