Globe promises more connectivity for Manila

Details: Vaughan O'Grady; Category: Wireless Networks; 24 September 2019; 3632 views

According to reports from the Philippines press, Globe Telecom has revealed plans to improve its wireless networks in the capital Manila, underpinned by an agreement with the city authorities.

Globe Telecom is a major provider of telecommunications services in the Philippines; it operates one of the largest mobile, fixed line and broadband networks in the country.

The plan for better wireless networks in Manila is apparently part of a wider drive to deliver what is called a digital transformation in the capital. It begins with Wi-Fi. Globe and the City of Manila have signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) under which the operator has agreed to ramp up its deployment of its GoWifi network, which can provide customers – where there is coverage – with internet access at speeds of up to 100Mbps.

It is understood that the MoA also includes the rollout of the mobile payment and remittance service GCash – which already has 20 million registered users in the Philippines – as the primary financial payment platform.

The rollout of an extra 100 wireless sites is the target for improved reception in the capital, and a number of key locations have already been earmarked for the rollout, including City Hall, the university and two medical centres.

By July this year there were some 2,500 GoWifi hotspot sites across the country, up from 2,000 a year earlier. Globe aims to double that figure by 2020, focusing on areas where there is likely to be high traffic such as shopping malls, hospitals and educational institutions.