Globe sees wider use of high-speed internet in homes

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. sees more homes using high-speed fiber internet as it pushes through with its home broadband modernization drive.

The Ayala-led telco said all its remaining copper lines would be upgraded to fiber to ensure a better data experience and stable connection.

Globe said fiber upgrades are being done for free by authorized technicians. Once upgraded, customers can expect their modems to be upgraded as well.

“Having a high-speed and reliable internet connection is now a necessity given the pandemic’s impact on our daily lives, which is why we are working nonstop to upgrade existing connections to fiber so that customers experience the first world network they deserve,” Globe vice president and head of broadband business Darius Delgado said.

Globe said a fiber connection can provide a maximum speed of one Gbps compared to a copper ADSL’s maximum speed of 15 Mbps.

A higher bandwidth translates to more capacity to download or upload large files faster, stream high-definition videos and webinars and run multiple online programs simultaneously, among other benefits.

Unlike traditional copper cables which suffer from huge data signal loss over long distances, Globe said fiber only registers slight data signal degradation, ensuring consistent and stable connectivity.

Rolling out fiber to homes is part of Globe’s efforts to help the country achieve a first world network, alongside the nationwide upgrade of its mobile network from 3G to 4G LTE and deployment of 5G in more cities and provinces.

The company is deploying more than one million fiber-to-the-home lines this year to meet the rising demand for faster internet services and the new work from home requirements.