Globe readies for mobile data explosion
3:08 AM
Vernon Joseph Go
New 4G network to harness smartphone capabilities
Globe Telecom expects smartphone penetration and mobile browsing in the Philippines will continue to rise, fuelled by the growing availability and affordability of more smartphone models in the market, as well as the popularity of internet browsing and social networking among Filipinos.
A report by research firm GfK Asia showed that the Philippines posted the highest growth for the region’s smartphone market, making-up nearly 30% of all mobile phones purchased in the Philippines in the first quarter of 2012. Smartphone volume growth in the country expanded by 203% during the previous quarter, triple the original figure during the same period in 2011.
Smartphone usage in the country has been on the uptrend, buoyed by the introduction of entry level smartphone models by device manufacturers as well as China-made OEM (original equipment manufacturer) brands at retail prices that are already at or even below the USD100 price point, the same level several years ago when the country’s mobile penetration significantly increased.
For Globe alone, about 19% of its subscriber base own smartphones, or almost 6 million as of end-2011. Globe also cited that the growing preference for smartphones will increase the use of mobile internet within the next three years driven by the availability of data plans ranging from prepaid daily variants to unlimited postpaid plans. Social networking, the use of mobile applications (apps), and mainstream adoption of e-mail have also been significantly contributing to the growth of mobile internet in the country.
“There is great opportunity in the market today as the current set-up of telco networks in the Philippines is not yet ideal for smartphones. Smartphones hinge their performance on the network infrastructure it runs on. We want to give our customers the best network that enriches their mobile internet experience so network quality is important. You may have the widest coverage, but consumers today need a network with the capacity and resiliency to handle growing demand for mobile data use,” said Cu.
Globe is fast-tracking the roll-out of its network modernization program which carries the 4G HSPA+ and LTE-ready network, compatible with many of the smartphones and other mobile devices set to launch in the Philippine market. The re-planning of the network is engineered to maximize the capacity and capabilities of smartphones to deliver unparalleled user experience, from seamless streaming of high-definition videos to receiving real time e-mail on their devices, on top of the essential mobile services such as instantaneous SMS transmissions and exceptional quality of calls.
Globe has already doubled its activated sites for HSPA+ from last year. More key activations will be done in the coming months, not only in NCR but also in North Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Globe is also geared to deploy LTE this year.
