Globe hopes to complete up to 75% of its network modernization project

MANILA, Philippines - Globe Telecom expects to complete between 70 and 75 percent of its network modernization project by the end of this year.

“We expect 70 to 75 percent of the job to be complete,” Ernest Cu, president and chief executive officer of Globe Telecom told reporters Wednesday night when asked for the completion rate of the network modernization project.

Globe Telecom is spending $790 million for its network modernization and information technology (IT) transformation project which will be implemented over a period of five years beginning this year.

Globe Telecom has tapped Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. to provide the equipment for the project while Alcatel-Lucent will serve as lead for management and integration.

Cu said the IT transformation part of the project could take about three years to complete.

The project, he said, will allow Globe Telecom’s network to be LTE (long term evolution) – ready, which can allow users to make use of the Internet at a speed of 100 megabits per second (mbps) or more.

He said though that no decision has been made yet on when the LTE technology will be rolled out.

“To me, what will drive LTE use is need for LTE of LTE devices. Today, Philippine networks only have about 20 percent of their networks smart phones,” he said.

The project, Cu also said, is expected to result in improved network coverage for its customers.

“Everything is going to be modernized... so this will give a new experience to our customers,” he said.