Globe 5G coverage seen hitting 80% of Metro Manila by end-2020

Globe Telecom is targeting the rollout of fifth generation (5G) mobile services across 80 percent of Metro Manila by the end of the year, apart from select cities in Visayas and Mindanao.

5G allows ultrafast internet speed with minimal lag times. But it remains years away from becoming the standard in the Philippines with many of its applications still emerging and devices out of reach for many Filipinos.

Globe itself said in an earlier statement that 4G/LTE remains the standard for mobile internet in the Philippines.

Nevertheless, Globe said it has launched 5G in more cities in Metro Manila.

It is also rolling out the service in Bacolod, Boracay, Iloilo, Talisay, Lapu-Lapu, Cordova, Minglanilla and Cebu City in Visayas; and in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao.

In the first week of November, the company’s 5G network has already reached certain areas in Davao City.

“We have a very active 5G development in Metro Manila and we hope to cover 80 percent of that soon. We are probably in the two-thirds range right now,” Gil Genio, Globe’s chief technology and information officer, said in a statement.

Globe said it activated more 5G sites within the capital district and is “currently on track for its target to cover around 80 percent of Metro Manila by the end of 2020.”

Globe is currently urging customers using its aging 3G service to also shift to 4G. The telco said it would provide free SIM upgrades and options for low-priced 4G devices.

Globe CEO Ernest Cu said earlier this month that 4 to 5 million of its subscribers were still using 3G.