Globe Telecom said over the weekend it is expanding its network to over 500 geographically isolated and disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs).
“At the heart of our mission is connecting the unconnected to build an inclusive, sustainable, and digitally enabled nation,” Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said.
“By dismantling barriers and unlocking opportunities, we are driving economic and social progress for all,” he said.
Globe’s expansion to GIDA is in line with its push for inclusive connectivity, crucial at a time when access has become a life-enabler, he said.
The company invested P265 billion for capital spending and P236 billion in operational expenses over the past three years to boost its network capabilities.
Globe is also engaging the government to jointly boost the country’s connectivity infrastructure as it sustains its network buildup.
The recently created Connectivity Plan Task Force (CPTF), which Cu leads, is working on complementing DICT’s rollout of internet infrastructure in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs), while advocating for policies essential to the development of telco infrastructure.
The CPTF is under the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. established to foster public-private sector collaboration.
“Bringing connectivity to the entire Philippines, including remote areas across the country, requires collaboration between the private sector and the government,”’ Cu said.
“Through this Task Force, we hope to synergize our efforts so that every corner of the country is connected, and Filipinos are able to enjoy the benefits of digital connectivity in an equitable way,” he said.
The PSAC earlier urged the government to allocate at least P240 billion to enhance internet infrastructure, emphasizing the need for a commercial partnership to build 35,000 new cell sites.
The council also requested an annual allocation of at least P60 billion for the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to lease towers, build last-mile facilities and optimize existing telco infrastructure.
The funding is necessary to provide internet access to 125,000 public facilities, including schools, hospitals, and health centers, over the next four years.