Globe clinches new 5G roaming partnerships in China, Brazil, Sweden

Industry giant Globe Telecom sealed more partnerships for overseas 5G roaming, which would benefit travelers once international tourism recovers.In a statement on Friday, Globe announced new tie-ups with Vivacom in Bulgaria, Viettel of Vietnam and China Mobile of China.

By August, it will also partner with Tele2 of Sweden and Vivo of Brazil.“We continuously build partnerships with telcos from all over the world so we can provide our customers with better data roaming experience at affordable costs, wherever they may be,” said Coco Domingo, Globe vice president for postpaid and international.

Globe has been expanding cross-border alliances for 5G, the latest mobile standard that offers ultra-fast and stable internet.

Existing partnershipsGlobe has existing 5G roaming partnerships with some of the largest telco operators in Asia, the United States and Canada, Europe and the Middle East.

The company, a 5G pioneer in the Philippines, is also expanding its domestic 5G network.

Globe recently announced the service covers about 88 percent of Metro Manila, 81 percent of Cebu City, 73 percent of Cagayan de Oro City and 73 percent of Davao City.

Globe said it has 68-percent 5G coverage in Boracay Island, 68 percent of Bacolod City and 53 percent of Iloilo City.

Still, 5G users remain a small minority given the prohibitive cost of 5G devices.

Lack of cell sites

Moody’s Investor Service said in a report last month 5G usage in the Philippines was still “relatively low” despite the country’s early adopter status in Asia Pacific.The report noted adoption would grow as costs decline and advanced applications such as medical services, robotics and smart home devices begin to emerge.

During the Bloomberg Qatar Economic Forum last month, Globe CEO and president Ernest Cu said the lack of cell sites had also slowed the deployment of 5G.

“I think we’re so far behind that it’s going to take some time. Given the fact that the country has a limited number of cell sites owing to its past history where it was very difficult to build cell sites,” he said.

The telco executive said building cell sites became easier during the pandemic after the government eased regulations on the construction of related infrastructure.