Globe targets 95% mobile coverage by end-2018

The Philippines’ Globe Telecom has laid out a plan to extend mobile coverage to 95% of the nation’s municipalities and cities by end-2018.

The operator has submitted a proposal with regulator NTC to use the spectrum due to be acquired through the co-purchase of conglomerate San Miguel Corporation’s telecoms assets, including its valuable 700-MHz spectrum, to help achieve its coverage target.

Under the plan, Globe will deploy around 4,500 SDN-enabled base stations and upgrade the capacity of its existing equipment to improve the customer experience.

By the end of the year, Globe plans to upgrade around 30% of its network nationwide, or around 2,200 existing cell sites, to support the new spectrum.

With the submission the operator is implicitly making the case for being allowed to proceed with the purchase of the SMC telco assets.

Antitrust body PCC plans to conduct a full investigation into the buyout, and the chief of the new Department of Information and Communications Technology recently ordered a spectrum audit as a result of the deal.

Globe has also committed to providing ultrafast broadband in 2 million households by 2020, and plans to invest $2 billion for its fixed broadband expansion program.