Globe Telecom Inc. is targeting to put up more cell sites and double its fiber-to-the-home rollout this year to address the increasing demand for better internet services.
For mobile, Globe said it will build 2,000 sites including in-building solutions, partnerships with independent tower companies and new cell sites this year, as it eyes to make fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) as the new standard for mobile services.
Globe added it is ramping up investment as it is targeting more than 2.5 times of the number of fiber to the homes rollout in 2020,
The company has built 600,000 broadband lines in 2020, a 55 percent improvement from 2019, helping customers adjust to the new normal of work-from-home and online learning.
Its 5G mobile network now covers 80 percent of urban Metro Manila. It is also available in 17 key cities nationwide through 1,031 sites.
“As we go forward and upwards, Globe is committed to advance and improve its network infrastructure. While the new sites will need time to be built and fired up, the recent unimpeded permitting process has proven to be the much-needed catalyst for the telco industry. Improving the country’s state of connectivity and internet speed is a continuing effort that requires both public and private sector support,” said Ernest Cu, Globe president and chief executive officer.
Globe will also continue to expand its 5G footprint as more 5G-capable devices enter the market. It said the aggressive rollout of 5G will happen this year in more cities and municipalities nationwide.
With a better data network in place, voice services will likewise improve by providing voice over LTE (VoLTE) and voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), to deliver clearer voice calls, faster call setup and near zero dropped calls.
Globe said VoLTE and VoWiFi are initially being rolled out in the National Capital Region and other parts of Luzon, and will be implemented in Visayas and Mindanao this year.
The company said its network infrastructure got a long-needed boost through the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, and the Joint Memorandum Circular 01 of the Anti-Red Tape Authority, Department of the Interior and Local Government and other concerned agencies.
The enabling laws effectively shortened the permitting process allowing Globe to build 1,300 new cell sites this year and upgrade 11,529 sites to 4G/LTE, resulting in faster, unimpeded connections.
Areas needing connectivity the most were being addressed with new site builds including Lanao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, Antique, Iloilo, Leyte, Palawan, Aklan, Maguindanao, Cotabato, Misamis Oriental and Davao del Oro.
Site upgrades are being done extensively across all areas where Globe has existing network coverage. The rigorous site upgrades are paving the way for 4G/LTE to be the new standard of mobile internet connectivity, the company said.
