Globe Telecom today said one fourth of its Capex (capital spending) of P27 billion for 2014 will be invested in data projects including deployment of LTE technology and broadband infrastructure.
The telecom operator in the Philippines is adding more 3G and 4G LTE sites in key commercial business districts and tourist destinations to further enhance mobile browsing experience of its customers.
The telecoms is optimizing its modernized cell sites for maximum performance while building more sites and improving its transport system to boost capacity.
“Data will remain a key investment area for the company in 2014 in anticipation of significant demand for the service,” said Globe Telecom President & CEO Ernest Cu.
Globe Telecom has partnered with chat applications including Viber, FB Messenger, KakaoTalk, WeChat, Gmessage, Whatsapp and Line, to enable communication via mobile data and to further enhance the growth of mobile data and content-related services.
In November last year, Globe Telecom allowed its 38.5 million mobile users to access social media network Facebook without any fee.
“Coupled with the popularity of Facebook among Filipinos and increased smartphone penetration, these became the basis for a successful promotion that more than doubled the number of Globe subscribers actively using mobile browsing activities,” he said.
Globe Telecom said its new access, transport, and core network nationwide enhances coverage in major points of convergence and provides a more reliable network for messaging and voice calls, high-speed internet surfing, seamless video streaming, fast upload of photos and videos to social media sites.
ABI Research recently said Asia-Pacific regional growth in base stations will outpace all other regions this year as it continues to account for the majority of worldwide base station deployments. The Asia-Pacific region now becomes the largest market for LTE, followed by North America and Western Europe, with the Asia-Pacific regional installed base growing to 8X in 2014.
LTE macro RAN spending is also set to reach $35 billion this year as LTE expenditures account for a majority of RAN spending with Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia Solutions and Networks, and Alcatel-Lucent among the companies set to benefit.
Globe Telecom said its fiber optic footprint in the country now includes undersea cable systems in strategic sites such as those in Boracay and Coron in Palawan, boosting linkages of these two tourist destinations with the rest of the country and the world. Its interconnection with the Southeast-Asia Japan Cable system, which was activated in mid-2013, further strengthens the Philippines’ regional connectivity.
In 2013, Globe Telecom revenues from mobile data services, which increased 42 percent from a year earlier to P11.6 billion, contributed 16 percent of total mobile revenues. Mobile revenues accounted for 80 percent of consolidated service revenues.
