spot_img
28.4 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Globe okays $300-m budget for launching of fiber network

- Advertisement -

Globe Telecom Inc. said Monday it is spending $300 million this year to aggressively roll out fiber-to-homes network nationwide.

Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said in a virtual briefing during the launch of the School Bus Wi-Fi program in Manila that the company’s board approved last month the $300-million (P15 billion) budget for the fiber network rollout.

It is part of the P50.3-billion capital expenditures programmed this year. Globe increased by 51.4 percent its fiber rollout as of August, compared to the whole 2019.

Cu said Globe launched the School Bus Wi-Fi program in Manila to provide fast, reliable and low-cost home internet connectivity in underserved markets in the locality.

Using KonekTayo Wi-Fi, Globe deployed school buses equipped with special antennas that will broadcast Wi-Fi signal from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in covered areas including Pasaje del Carmen St., Remigio St., 853 Gonzalo Gil Puyat St., 924 Bilibid Viejo St., Tomas Mapua St., Alfonso Mendoza St., Dalupan St., Oroqueta St. and Basco St. in Manila.

- Advertisement -

The use of KonekTayo Wi-Fi service will be free for the first hours for public school students and teachers in Manila who were provided 289,000 Globe SIM cards.

Through the School Bus Wi-Fi campaign, Globe also extends support to school bus operators whose main source of livelihood was put at stake by the pandemic.

“We recognize the difficulties faced by the private school transport industry, especially now that classes have started. We sought to develop an innovation that will not only provide this industry with a new opportunity, but will also bring connectivity to students and communities in areas that need it most,” Cu said.

Ayala Corp. chairman and chief executive Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, who also serves as Globe chairman, said that “against the backdrop of COVID-19, internet access has become a lifeline more than a luxury. Internet access is needed by students to pursue online education, by workers to continue earning a living while working from home, by families to stay connected with each other.”

“With Globe’s School Bus Wi-Fi in the City of Manila, we are able to help in ensuring that residents have access to affordable Wi-Fi connectivity. We look to partner with other local governments to expand this initiative,” he said.

Formerly known as KapitWi-Fi, KonekTayo Wi-Fi is a fast and secure community Wi-Fi service that aims to provide households with affordable internet.

The School Bus Wi-Fi campaign is part of KonekTayo Wi-Fi’s bigger purpose of making internet connectivity more accessible for underserved families and communities across the country. With KonekTayo Wi-Fi, customers simply need to connect to a KonekTayoWi-Fi hotspot, purchase a promo and surf all day.

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles