Globe Telecom Inc. is on track to deploy fifth generation (5G) wireless technology by the second quarter of 2019, the company said recently.
In a statement, Globe said it is moving forward with network upgrade to support the technology.
“Globe in July 2017 started commercially deploying massive MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology, using 2CC carrier aggregation, which doubles LTE capacity,” the telco said.
MIMO technology provides vast mobile capacity, coverage, and reliability for 5G technology
With the necessary assets in place, Globe said it is now focused on completing its network upgrade in support of 5G by the end of the year.
From 2014 until the first quarter of 2018, the company said it spent more than P139 billion, mainly on upgrading and expanding its network.
“5G is an important building block for the Philippine economy’s competitiveness. This is the reason we are accelerating our efforts to deploy 5G so we can provide as many Filipinos as possible an access to the technology,” Globe chief technology and information officer Gil Genio said.
“5G will bring innovation and spur economic growth in the Philippines. From the same physical network we will be able to support different uses with varying performance requirements, in effect looking like different networks to different types of applications, from Internet of Things to faster broadband to mission critical information. This will spur innovation and help various industries digitally transform,” Genio said.
Globe executives were recently in Shanghai, China, to discuss with Huawei deputy chairman Eric Xu their 5G partnership and other strategies to provide first-world connectivity in the Philippines.
Huawei was the technology partner of Globe in implementing a $700-million network modernization program that began in 2011.
In November 2015, Globe signed a fresh five-year contract with Huawei, involving the planning and design of a mobile broadband network, as well as the creation of a mobile innovation center. —Ted Cordero/VDS, GMA News