Globe, DICT eye completion of joint connectivity projects by end-Sept 2018

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. are preparing to complete their joint connectivity projects by the end of the month.

Globe, through its subsidiary Innove Communications Inc., is working closely with the DICT to finish several connectivity platform projects required by the agency by end-September.

Under the agreement, Globe is committed to deliver a total of 704 circuits to some underserved municipalities across the Philippines, while the DICT is tasked to ensure that Innove can deploy these circuits by securing building permission from the respective local government units (LGUs).

As of end-August, Innove was able to deliver 492 of the 704 committed circuits, which will route data from one node to another.

The circuits will serve as a backbone and distribution hubs for internet connectivity for municipalities across the country.

Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo said the company could complete its project deliverables to DICT by the end of the month upon the resolution of some circuit deployment issues.

“We will deliver the remaining 212 circuits as soon as the deliverables of other parties are accomplished. This is in line with our commitment with the DICT to work with them hand in hand in bridging the digital divide in the country,” Castelo said.

DICT has awarded contracts to Innove over a period of three years to deliver 704 circuits composed of 615 circuits for the IP Transport Municipal project, 74 circuits for the IP Transport Municipal Ph3 project, 2 circuits for IP Transport International project, and 13 circuits for IP Transport Domestic project.

Globe ended the first half with consolidated service revenue of P67.3 billion, with revenue hitting P33.2 billion in the second quarter, up three percent from the previous quarter. 

The company’s core net income, which excludes the impact of non-recurring charges, and foreign exchange and mark-to-market charges, stood at P10.3 billion, while net income for the first reached P10.1 billion.