Despite the recent reimposition of tighter quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila due to the ongoing pandemic, Globe commits to continuing with its aggressive network builds to meet the increasing demand for faster and better internet connectivity.
Speaking at the company’s recent Annual Stockholders’ Meeting, Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu said that the company’s experience gained during the enhanced group quarantine (ECQ) last year had helped it react to a better current situation. Cu stated that MECQ’s restrictive interventions would have little impact on the company’s ongoing infrastructure rollout.
“In order to increase capacity and availability in Metro Manila, we will continue to deploy regardless of quarantine status. We are focused on improving our network services, and we hope our efforts will address the continued demand for connectivity which is especially vital in this time of crisis,” said Cu.
Globe’s ambitious network upgrade, especially the migration of customers to 4G LTE technology, moves at a breakneck pace. The migration is being carried out to offer an improved data experience to Globe mobile customers. Furthermore, Globe upgrades its home broadband customers to fiber lines to have higher internet speeds and enhanced service quality.
Globe allocates a huge Capex investment of P70 billion this year, including the construction of approximately 2,000 new cell sites and the installation of over one million fiber to the home lines.
“We remain committed to our capital expenditure, and we want to be able to meet and spend that amount and possibly even more in rolling out mobile services as well as fiber to deliver first world internet services in the country,” Cu added.
Globe developed nearly 1,300 cell sites in 2020, a new record for the company and an 18% increase over 2019. In addition to constructing new sites, Globe upgraded over 11,500 existing sites to 4G/LTE, resulting in a better network experience.
Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG No. 9, which emphasizes the importance of infrastructure and innovation as drivers of economic growth and development.