Globe Telecom Inc. has set a firm target of setting up 400,000 broadband lines across the Philippines by year-end to meet its goal of providing ultra-fast Internet for 2 million households over 20,000 barangays by 2020.
Ernest L. Cu, the company’s president and CEO, said his group is on track to hit its targets, after deploying 260,000 home broadband lines in 2016.
He said the company could have rolled out more lines last year had it not been for the permitting and right-of-way challenges that telcos are always facing at the local government level.
“With our recent campaigns, our local governments are beginning to hear us and, to some extent, some are more responsive than others. As we move forward, we have every reason to be optimistic that we can improve the quality of home broadband in as many areas as possible,” Cu said.
Globe broadband lines were initially rolled out in select areas in Quezon City, Cebu, Davao and Binondo, Manila. “We are catching up on the deployment of infrastructure for home broadband, after focusing on mobile for many years. Globe is accelerating home broadband deployment and plans to roll out 400,000 ultra-fast broadband lines by end-2017,” Cu said.
Cu added: “Progressive rollouts will be done within the next three years until 2020 to serve at least 2 million homes.”
The whole program will cost Globe a whopping $2 billion, and is aimed at “redefining home broadband experience for Filipinos”.
“The quality difference and improvements on fixed Internet will really be felt. We will transform every home using a Globe broadband into an ultimate entertainment hub, as our customers enjoy high-speed connection, plus an unbeatable portfolio of exclusive content,” he said.