The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said the deployment of the fifth generation (5G) network will help boost internet connectivity in the country amid the pandemic.
“This year, the spotlight is on 5G deployment and the massive boost in connectivity, speed and business transformation it brings along,” Gamaliel Cordoba, NTC commissioner, said at a recent virtual forum hosted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
5G deployment and expansion are now taking center-stage globally. Cordoba said as companies start to gradually roll out 5G capable devices and infrastructures, connectivity is taking a huge stride towards the future.
“In times when demand for high-speed connectivity is greater than ever, 5G is poised to meet these sky-high expectations. Connectivity cost goes down, ultrafast speed and the much-anticipated lower latency are among its numerous benefits for the network, not to mention how better and faster connectivity could improve mobility, farming, healthcare and retail or improve GDP (gross domestic product),” he added.
In line with this, the NTC crafts rules that streamline the regulatory process of applying for permit and license of telcos, to accelerate the deployment and installation of infrastructures that may eventually address the high and increasing demand for digital connectivity especially in unserved and underserved areas in the country.
Meanwhile, telecom players PLDT Inc. and its wireless arm Smart Communications Inc., Globe Telecom Inc. and Dito Telecommunity Corp. have been aggressive in expanding their networks to improve internet services.
Smart’s 5G network now has more than 4,000 sites across the Philippines.
“We will continue to roll out more 5G sites in the years to come so that more Filipinos will enjoy 5G coverage,” said Alfredo Panlilio, PLDT and Smart president and chief executive officer.
To date, PLDT operates the country’s most extensive fiber infrastructure, at more than 511,000 kilometers. This also supports Smart’s mobile networks, which now cover 96 percent of the population from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi.
Globe said its sustained efforts to make 5G technology available and accessible in the country resulted in more customers on 5G devices in the last two months covering April and May.
Based on the company’s latest data, there were more than 560,000 customers on 5G devices last March. In April, the number went up to 620,000 or a 10.7 percent increase and more than 700,000 or a 12.9 percent surge by the end of May. There was an average of 11.8 percent increase in device count in the last two months.
“We are expecting the rise in numbers as we make the 5G technology more pervasive in key locations not only in Metro Manila but in highly-urbanized cities in Visayas and Mindanao. The entry of affordable 5G-capable mobile devices has also made it possible for more people to use the technology. We will make our 5G presence more felt in Visayas and Mindanao in the coming months,” said Joel Agustin, Globe senior vice president for program delivery, network technical group.
Globe now has 5G outdoor coverage in at least 88 percent of the National Capital Region, with Bonifacio Global City central business district (CBD) and Ortigas CBD having the highest coverage, both at 97 percent.
Makati CBD is third with 96 percent coverage while Pateros is fourth with 92 percent coverage. Globe’s 5G network is also active in at least 82 percent or more in 13 cities in Metro Manila.
At present, new telecom player Dito has built 3,000 cellsite towers and its network coverage has reached 51 percent.
