GLOBE Telecom, Inc. is expanding the coverage of its fifth-generation (5G) network to parts of Rizal, Cavite and Bulacan.
The Ayala-led telecommunications giant said its 5G fixed wireless broadband service is now available in Greenpark in Cainta, Rizal; Woodland Hills in Carmona, Cavite; Carissa Homes 2A and 2B and Palmera Homes in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.
The rollout comes after Globe began the commercial availability of the next-generation network in the Philippines in July.
“Our aim for 5G deployment is to serve more customers, especially in areas where we encounter challenges in rolling out fiber-optic cable, through providing technology that enables them for the future,” Globe Senior Vice-President and Head of Broadband Business Martha Sazon said in a statement yesterday.
Globe earlier said rolling out 5G to the market is expected to come at a faster rate as the technology can ride on existing wireless sites, therefore hurdling geographical limitations and permitting needs that are required by fiber optic cables.
The company is targeting to hit 2 million home subscribers for its internet broadband service by 2020. It already hit the 1.8 million mark in the second quarter for the combined fixed wireless and wired home broadband subscribers. In revenues, the home broadband segment also contributed P10.6 billion to the company in the six-month period, rising 21% from a year ago.
Globe’s 5G services are currently limited to home subscribers, where it promises a network speed of up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) for a monthly subscription price of P2,899. The faster 50 Mbps is available for P2,499 per month, while the 20 Mbps service is priced at P1,899 per month.
Globe President and Chief Executive Officer Ernest L. Cu said in September the rollout of 5G is still expensive at the moment because of the high price of equipment needed to power the technology. What the company wants to focus on for now is finding the business potential for 5G before it enters a massive expansion for the network across the country.
Globe booked an attributable net income of P12.05 billion in the first half of the year, up 21% from a year ago, driven by the robust growth of its data business. It is allocating P63 billion for capital expenditures this year to support the country’s growing demand for data. — Denise A. Valdez
