Globe in talks with foreign groups for LTE roaming service

MANILA, Philippines - Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. is heavily expanding its long-term evolution (LTE) roaming service so that subscribers could enjoy fast speed Internet connections through tie ups with operators from Australia, Singapore, US, Japan, Canada and the Middle East.

Rizza Maniego-Eala, group head for Globe’s International Business, said the company has strengthened partnership with SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest mobile operator to further expand its LTE international data roaming service coverage.

With this service, Maniego-Eala said tourists coming to the Philippines could enjoy seamless connectivity, empowering them with efficient multi-tasking and rich content data applications in Globe LTE-covered areas in the country.

“This means ultrafast browsing and multimedia streaming on their mobile phones, allowing them faster and more seamless connectivity when they use social networking sites to connect with their friends and relatives in South Korea, do video calls, and other web-based mobile activities,” she stressed.

Globe was the first to introduce LTE international data roaming in the Philippines partnering with the biggest carriers abroad such as China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited in October last year and now with SK Telecom.

SK Telecom senior vice president and head of the operators collaboration marketing office Kim Young-Sup said the partnership is part of the many strategic alliances between carriers around the world to offer LTE roaming services.

“The commercialization of LTE auto-roaming services with Globe and SingTel follows a consensus among members of the Bridge Alliance (BA) that LTE data roaming takes an important role in the future direction of next generation services, thus calling for strategic partnerships between carriers around the world,” he added.

The strengthening of the partnership between Globe and SK Telecom is a further boost to the already robust South Korean visitors market which is the largest tourism market in the Philippines for 2012.

Of the total 4.3-million tourist arrivals in the Philippines last year, about 24.13 percent or more than one million tourists were from South Korea.

“We are very pleased with our strengthened partnerships with SK Telecom and China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited. Now, more tourists can continue to enjoy high speed LTE connection when they are in the Philippines,” Maniego-Eala said.

As of April 2013, the Globe LTE network has quickly expanded to cover more areas nationwide.

Aside from Makati, Globe LTE coverage is now available in select areas in Manila, Pasig, Quezon City, Taguig, Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, Cebu City, Davao City, and Boracay.

The Globe LTE rollout focuses on large, contiguous areas instead of sporadic distribution in the form of pocket activations or hot spots to ensure greater and more stable coverage.

Globe has earmarked between $450 million and $500 million consisting of $160 million to $200 million for transformation initiatives and $290 million for investments in fixed lines, international cable facilities, and information technology (IT) infrastructure.

Globe is practically down with the first phase of its $700 million network modernization and transformation program with the complete change-out of equipment and has started its $90 million IT upgrade.