President Duterte

witnesses the signing of several agreements between Globe Telecom and its technology partners Huawei Technologies, Nokia and Wuhan Fiberhome International Technologies. Photo also shows Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu (fifth from right, standing) and Globe director Fernando Zobel de Ayala (fourth from right, standing).

Increasing investments to continuously improve internet services in the country, Globe Telecom signed several agreements involving its technology partners Huawei Technologies, Nokia and Wuhan Fiberhome International Technologies amounting to $ 750 million over a period of five years to accelerate use of new LTE technologies to enhance its data services and improve customer experience.

“Globe is deeply committed to giving a wonderful experience to our customers by continuing to build and invest on our network. We are confident that our collaboration with Huawei, Nokia and Wuhan FiberHome will translate into a more robust Globe network that will meet the country’s future digital demands,” Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said.

The agreements signed by Globe include the deployment of new LTE spectrum in the country. Specifically, Cu and Globe director Fernando Zobel de Ayala signed a memorandum of confirmation with Chen Yuhua, the head of Nokia international business, relating to the implementation of this project in the Visayas and Mindanao. A similar memorandum of confirmation was signed between Globe and Huawei CEO Kevin Gao relating to deployment of LTE spectrum in Luzon.

This project aims to provide wider LTE coverage and better indoor penetration, through an estimated 4,600 sites in the country. The project will increase data and fixed- wireless broadband capacity to provide telecommunications services in many areas in the country that at present have no access to broadband services.

In addition, the project will strengthen telecommunications infrastructure and address the adverse impact of typhoons that constantly hit the country as well as enhance support to the government’s thrust for higher availability of broadband internet services.

Mike Wang, president at Nokia Networks Greater China, said: “This is a significant agreement with a longstanding collaborator. It strengthens Nokia’s position as Globe Telecom’s premier end-to-end solution provider. We are committed to delivering technologies that allow operators to smoothly transit to intelligent, virtual networks and seamless connectivity, to change how people communicate and connect.”

“Huawei is very happy to sign the MoC and through these cooperation, we hope to provide high quality products and professional services and work with our Philippine partners to bring a better connected service to this country,” Gao said.

Globe also signed a separate memorandum of confirmation with Huawei and Nokia relating to a capacity expansion program for its corporate data network. The fixed line network modernization project will improve the quality of its corporate network with capabilities, capacities, features and functionalities that are constantly responsive to business and enterprise requirements. The project will re- design and transform the network to make it future- proof and meet specified minimum engineering and technology end-state requirement, making the network more agile in serving the heavy data traffic of its enterprise customers.

In addition to these, Globe signed another memorandum of confirmation with Huawei and Wuhan FiberHome relating to the company’s plan to build a fiber infrastructure to support the rollout of fixed broadband lines in Filipino homes. With a robust fixed broadband network, more customers will be better served by high speed internet connections.

Globe signed the agreement with Wuhan Fiberhome International Technologies president Zhiqiang Fan, Wuhan Fiberhome International Technologies Philippines CEO Hui Liu and Huawei’s Gao.

“It is a great honor to be the partner of Globe on its nationwide broadband building program which will provide Filipinos with the state- oftheart fiber technology. We believe that FiberHome’s expertise in telecommunications over the last 40 years will be of great value to Globe Telecom’s infrastructure build. We are proud to contribute to a vision of building a fiber network that will benefit Filipinos nationwide and we look forward to further enhancing our partnership with Globe,” Fan said.

Aimed at improving the coverage and capacity of Globe Telecom’s fixed broadband network, the project involves deployment of fiber optics in 20,000 barangays by 2020, which is expected to provide ultra-fast internet access to around two million homes nationwide.