LTE coverage targeted in areas with high smartphone usage, says Globe
This is in response to news reports quoting a crowdsourcing study conducted by OpenSignal Inc. that says the Philippines has the slowest long-term evolution or LTE coverage in the world, based on a survey held involving 16 countries. More details after the jump.
Globe Telecom underwent a $700-million network modernization program two years ago. As a result, all Globe cell sites have been upgraded with the latest generation Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment which can support 2G, 3G and readily upgradable to LTE.More than 90% of Globe cell sites are now equipped with brand new 3G and 4G infrastructure,which includes Wimax, HSPA+ and LTE, as recognized by the world’s leading operators. “The upgrade has greatly improved network performance and capacity amid growing customer preference for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets,” said Robert Tan, Chief Technical Adviser.
To further enhance mobile data experience of its customers, Globe will continue to be aggressive in its LTE roll out this year even as the number of its LTE sites has increased substantially from a year earlier. Over the last two years, the company’s LTE approach is to focus on large contiguous areas instead of undertaking pocket activations.
“The strategy is to provide LTE infrastructure in areas where there is a high prevalence of smartphone use such as in major CBDs to ensure greater and more stable LTE coverage and thus improve affordability of mobile data services. Currently, we estimate that only up to 2% of our total subscriber base of 38.5 million have LTE-enabled devices,” Tan said. Globe is the first to pioneer LTE data and data roaming services in the Philippines.
Source: Globe Telecom
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