Filipino operator Globe Telecom has surpassed its network upgrade targets for Q1 2021, deploying 318 new sites for a year-on-year increase of 152%.
In addition, the operator announced that it had delivered 4G and 5G upgrades to 7065 sites - a year-on-year increase of 245% - and installed over 287,000 high speed broadband lines (a 212% increase). At the end of March, the operator had around 10,800 sites.
Globe’s vastly accelerated pace of deployment reflects a government-level drive to facilitate infrastructure planning permissions and construction processes. Within the first two months of this year, Globe was able to procure 495 local government permits to construct telecom sites.
As reported by TeleGeography, Globe plans to spend PHP70 billion (USD1.45 billion) CAPEX in its fiscal 2021, an increase of PHP10 billion over last year. The majority of this will be spent on extending the reach of its FTTH (fibre-to-the-home) network and boosting 5G.
Additionally, the operator is signing 5G roaming deals, most recently adding Ooredoo Kuwait to a list that also includes Vietnam’s Viettel and Saudi Arabia’s STC.
