Globe widens nationwide 5G

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. is further expanding its infrastructure network and outdoor coverage for 5G to give the Philippines a chance to catch up on the technology.

Globe said it has built 356 new 5G sites nationwide as of June, raising its outdoor presence to 97.44 percent in Metro Manila and 91 percent in select urban areas in Visayas and Mindanao.

The Ayala-led telco also logged 5.2 million devices that connected to its 5G network, as it expects Filipinos to adopt the technology given the difference in internet quality and speed.

Globe senior vice president for network planning and engineering Joel Agustin said the telco is making fresh investments on 5G to support its network expansion.

Agustin added that Globe believes in the capability of 5G to improve the digital lifestyle of consumers.

Compared to 4G, 5G promises faster speeds and lower latency allowing devices to move data with ease to load websites quicker, run games smoother, among others.

Globe is testing multiple technologies for 5G deployment, including 5G standalone, end-to-end network slicing and private 5G networks.

The Philippines currently trails Asia-Pacific economies on 5G speed, as neighbors are making large-scale investments to improve their 5G infrastructure and reach.

Last July, Ookla placed the Philippines as one of the worst places in Asia and the Pacific to connect to a 5G network for recording a median speed of 133.57 Mbps.

The Philippines was edged by Malaysia’s 512.1 Mbps, South Korea’s 503.99 Mbps, Singapore’s 387.15 Mbps, India’s 335.17 Mbps, New Zealand’s 271.9 Mbps and China’s 264.86 Mbps.

Australia’s 213.36 Mbps, Thailand’s 161.15 Mbps and Hong Kong’s 142.04 Mbps also outpaced the Philippine record.

Likewise, Metro Manila posted the slowest 5G speed of 135.51 Mbps among 14 urban centers in the region.

Ookla said the capital cities of South Korea and Malaysia led Asia and the Pacific, as Seoul averaged 533.95 Mbps, while Kuala Lumpur turned up 523.44 Mbps.

Although the Philippines launched 5G in the same year as South Korea, Ookla said latter has developed the availability and speed of its network faster than the former could.

Nevertheless, Ookla forecasts the region to become one of the largest markets, if not the largest, for 5G by 2025.