Globe Telecom Inc. plans to deploy Nokia’s state-of-the-art Interleaved Passive Active Antenna (IPAA+) radio solution in 50 areas in Visayas and Mindanao this year as part of its sustainability initiatives.
Recently, Globe deployed the latest technology in South Cotabato, which is the first of at least 50 installations planned for this year.
“Through this innovation, Nokia will help us lessen our cost of energy and carbon emissions. Kudos to Nokia for collaborating with our Globe engineers to come up with this new solution. That’s the kind of partnership we can be proud of,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe chief sustainability and corporate communications officer, in a statement.
“Through this unique IPAA+ variant, we are supporting Globe’s efforts to reduce its environmental footprint as well as accelerate its 4G/5G rollout across the country to improve the connectivity experience of its customers. We will continue to work closely with them throughout deployment at approximately 50 additional sites this year in the Visayas and Mindanao islands,” said Subho Mukherjee, Nokia vice president of sustainability.
The IPAA+ was produced by Nokia for Globe as a sustainable, low footprint and high capacity 4G/5G antenna to support smooth site upgrades across the country.
Using state-of-the-art antenna interleaving technology, the IPAA+ is a compact solution, saving some 1.5 meters of tower height space, Globe said.
Crucially, it does not increase the wind load on the tower, speeding up site acquisition and making deployment easier and faster, it added.
The impact on the cell site is minimal, as tower reinforcement and construction works are typically not needed, reducing the environmental impact during site modernization and the deployment of 5G.
The world-first testing of the 2.6 GHz IPAA+ variant in Tantangan, South Cotabato, showed a 5 percent improvement in efficiency compared to legacy antennas, Globe said. As the IPAA+ enables a wider coverage area, it also has the advantage of supporting more end-users.
Globe said this deployment demonstrates its commitment to adopting green network solutions as it aims to contribute to halving global carbon emissions by 2030 and attain Net Zero by 2050.
To date, 25 of its high energy utilization facilities run on renewable energy, the company added.