Globe to pilot satellite-to-phone services in provinces

MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. plans to introduce satellite-to-phone services in the Philippines and will test the system in provinces to see its reliability in connecting far-flung areas.

Globe yesterday said it expanded its partnership with satellite operator Lynk Global Inc. to pilot a program that seeks to provide connectivity to mobile users in remote places.

The collaboration will run until June 2025. This year, Globe will test run Lynk’s satellite services in Zambales, Pangasinan, Siargao and Leyte.

The pilot test will employ Lynk’s low earth orbit (LEO) satellites to deliver emergency alerts and text messages to Globe subscribers in the four provinces. The service will target towns struggling for network signals due to the lack of land-based infrastructure.

Globe said satellite services can be used to cater to the connectivity demands of enterprise clients and state agencies in far-flung areas. The telco also sees the internet from space as an alternative to promoting tourist destinations with limited to no cellular coverage.

In the future, Globe views the potential of bringing satellite capabilities in disaster zones, fishing grounds, maritime routes and other areas that require reliable and nonstop connectivity.

Lynk, for its part, hopes the pilot of its satellite-to-phone services in the Philippines will generate new insights on how it can improve its commercial products.

Globe senior director and head of network strategy and innovations Gerhard Tan said the telco is working on new ways to bring connectivity in underserved areas in line with efforts to bridge the digital divide in the countryside.

“We are looking for solutions to bring life-enabling connectivity to as many Filipinos as possible. Through this satellite direct to phone service, we hope to provide access wherever our customers are, connecting the unconnected through disruptive technology,” Tan said.

Globe and Lynk began collaborating in 2022 through a memorandum of understanding to deliver a proof of concept (POC) for satellite-to-phone services in the Philippines. The POC was done in signal-deprived areas in Bataan and the tests were completed in February 2023.

Satellites are viewed by telco innovators, including Starlink, as the future of connectivity, as they can beam internet from space onto the ground, reaching even the remotest areas.

Moreover, satellites are unbothered by terrestrial challenges and weather disruptions given their nature of hovering in space, unlike traditional assets like fiber cables that lay beneath the ground.