Philippines operator Globe Telecom reported that it has expanded its 5G footprint by installing 41 more 5G sites across Visayas and Mindanao in 2023. Of these, 27 sites were deployed in Visayas and 14 new ones in Mindanao last year, Globe said recently. Globe noted that in 2023, it has attained 92.36 percent outdoor coverage in key Visayas and Mindanao cities and 97.90 percent in the National Capital Region, facilitating over 5.8 million devices connecting to Globe's 5G network in December alone.
Also Read: Globe Expands Network Across Philippines With Over 1,200 Cell Sites in 2023
Enhancing Network Infrastructure
In another Network Expansion, Globe announced that it expanded connectivity across Mindanao with 276 new site builds and 2,509 upgrades to 4G LTE throughout 2023. The company also reported that 91 percent of its USD 1.3 billion capital expenditure in 2023 was used to enhance its data infrastructure.
In tandem with this financial outlay, the company said it has advanced its network capacity, commissioning 1,217 new sites and upgrading 8,226 existing infrastructure to 4G LTE technology across the nation.
Overall, Globe reported in mid-March that it has expanded its 5G footprint across the Philippines with 894 new sites as of the end of last year. Additionally, Globe has expanded its 5G roaming partnerships, now encompassing 156 global partners across 82 destinations.
Implementing Sustainable Solutions
During the same period, Globe reported that it has completed its hybrid solar power pilot project. The program, which ran from 2022 to 2023, focused on integrating hybrid solar power across 26 diverse Globe sites – three in the National Capital Region (NCR), 17 in South Luzon, and six in Mindanao.
The sites include off-grid towers traditionally dependent on diesel gensets but can be fully powered either solely by renewable energy with a battery energy storage system or a combination of renewables and diesel fuel, Globe said.
Also Read: Globe Introduces CALF: A Compact Connectivity Solution for Critical Scenarios
The technology was also tested in bad-grid tower sites experiencing frequent power outages and in good-grid tower sites that utilize a mix of coal and renewable energy sources from the power grid.
Globe noted saving an estimated over 119,000 litres of diesel fuel and avoiding over 67,000 kWh of electricity consumption.
