Globe Telecom Inc. said on Monday it is accelerating its 5G initiatives to increase adoption rates in the Philippines, as it aims to help the country become more competitive in the region.
Globe Chief Commercial Officer Issa Guevarra-Cabreira said 5G will enable to the Philippines to become more competitive in Asia Pacific given its potential in powering up various industries through digital transformation, aside from providing consumers faster Internet speeds.
“We are beginning to see the full potential of 5G technology and its impact in our everyday lives. More of our customers are seeing the benefits of 5G and are upgrading their SIM cards and handsets. We need to accelerate 5G adoption and use in the country so we can catch up and compete with our regional peers,” she said.
Cabreira cited a YouGov report titled International Telco Report 2021: Consumer Adoption of 5G which indicated that Asia-Pacific countries lead the way in 5G adoption and use. The report covered 18,803 respondents in 17 countries in North America, Europe and Asia.
Globally, 61 countries—the Philippines included, now have access to commercial 5G.
“5G connectivity is the great equalizer since it will make businesses, big and small, more efficient. It also allows Filipinos to access information, do transactions, learn and enrich their digital lifestyle at lightning speeds. With 5G, technology applications that were once in the realm of make believe—are now a reality,” Cabreira said.
5G enables frontier technologies, such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Edge Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Industrial IoT, immersive learning, among many others.
5G is also expected to positively impact many sectors including manufacturing, transportation, logistics, healthcare, agriculture, and education.
Globe, Cabreira said, aims to enable these innovations as it expands its 5G network.
Currently, Globe has over 1,800 5G sites in the country covering Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Globe’s 5G subscriber base sits at 860,000 as of July.
Cabreira said “the company expects sustained double digit growth in the next few years.”