Globe to launch 5G network in June
GLOBE Telecom, Inc. is preparing to launch its fifth-generation (5G) services before the end of the first half.
“One of the most exciting things that telcos globally are looking at is 5G technology… We are launching 5G for the home in June this year,” Ernest L. Cu, president and chief executive officer of Globe, said during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting Tuesday.
The Ayala-led company is partnering with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. for the development of its 5G network, which will be launched through a home broadband service initially.
“5G technology will push adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), which is seen to become a critical engine for future growth for the telco industry… It will also change the way different industries operate and serve their customers, such as the use of safer and more efficient management of cities, smart grid and smart metering for power transmission and distribution, asset management, and advanced medicine,” Mr. Cu said.
“[E]nterprises will also benefit from applications such as connected vehicle fleets, predictive maintenance, factory automation, work force training and field support, and countless other examples,” he added.
Globe earlier said its 5G network would provide broadband speeds to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) from 50 Mbps. It was initially planning to roll out in locations with high density of cell sites such as Metro Manila and other urban centers.
In an interview last November, Mr. Cu told reporters the company wants to go after home services as a use case for its 5G network.
“It’s hard to find a robotic factory in the Philippines, or autonomous vehicles. We are very down to earth in our ambitions. It’s simply fixed wireless access for the home, which is what we’re going to do,” he said.
Globe is earmarking P63 billion for capital expenditures this year to support the growing demand for its data services. In 2018, the telco giant posted a net income of P18.447 billion, 22% higher than in 2017 due to stronger revenues from data-related services. — Denise A. Valdez
