Globe bets big on ‘green’ network technology

Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. may be engaged in one of the most competitive industries in the country, but the company is not forgetting that its growth should not only help shareholders’ profit, but also ensure environmental sustainability.

The company said its five-year modernization program would involve state-of-the-art “green” technologies that aim to reduce the company’s reliance on energy from fossil fuels.

“Globe has always been conscious of how our operations impact the environment with our small-scale renewable energy deployment in previous years,” said Robert Tan, chief technical adviser of Globe.

“With the network modernization in place, we are moving to a bigger and more massive green network with the introduction of highly efficient and reliable hardware technologies and solutions for reduced operational expenses and lowered carbon dioxide emissions,” he said.

Globe intends to spend nearly $800 million for its network modernization.

Part of the budget would go to the deployment of solar and wind-energy powered cellsites, in keeping with Globe’s plan to increase its “green” cell sites by over 200 percent.

This will boost energy savings through reduction in carbon footprint and power consumption, generating fuel savings of up to 60 percent.

Network equipment would also be refreshed with upscale battery autonomy, as well as operate on natural cooling methods, resulting in more efficient use of commercial power and 30 percent worth of fuel savings.

Once the network modernization program is completed, Globe expects to have one of the “greenest” networks in Southeast Asia.

To achieve this, Globe said it would tap technology from its network rollout partner, China’s Huawei International, which boasts of a line of Green Energy and Green Site solutions.