Globe Telecom Inc. said on Wednesday that it believes that 4G should be the new standard for mobile Internet in the country, as the Philippines continues its rapid shift towards a more digital economy amid the pandemic.
Gil Genio, the company’s chief technology and information officer, said 4G may help boost the digital economy through the facilitation of business continuity and enhanced productivity, as businesses shift to remote work and schools migrate to distance learning modalities.
“Internet services have become a critical need for many Filipinos. With the evolution of mobile technologies, it is high time for our country to have 4G/LTE everywhere as the basic mobile internet technology used by everyone,” he said.
Genio explained that making 4G as the Philippine standard for mobile internet has become a necessity, given the exponential growth of usage in 2020, when Covid-19 hit the country.
“And for the most demanding mobile uses, 5G is here and now, too. Both 4G and 5G were designed for the internet, with 5G designed specifically for new uses such as video streaming, mobile gaming, and even IoT. That is why we call on all customers who still use 3G for mobile data to make the 4G/5G change—SIMs and handsets—and see the difference,” he said.
Globe has been actively developing its networks to heed to the call of President Duterte to improve internet services in the country before the end of December. Duterte even threatened of a government take over should the telcos fail to provide proof of improvements on his deadline.
The company has laid out a three-pronged strategy to improve data experience which includes aggressive cell site builds; upgrading its cell sites to 4G LTE using many different frequencies; and fast-tracking the fiberization of Filipino homes nationwide.
Genio noted that network builds, upgrades and optimization efforts are currently underway and will continue until the end of 2021.