Globe insists on efficiently using radio frequencies

Industry giant Globe Telecom expressed concerns on the government’s broad initiatives for spectrum reform.

It highlighted, in a statement, that it was already efficiently using radio frequencies, which allow mobile services such as text messaging, calls and internet browsing.

Globe was referring to a plan raised by Eliseo Rio Jr., acting secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, to scrutinize how incumbent telcos PLDT Inc. and Globe have been using their frequency assets, which are assigned by the government.

Focus was placed on the 3G band. Globe said its network carried twice the data traffic than that of competition. Globe said it received an allocation of 10 Megahertz in the 3G band, which it called “the smallest allocation on this band.”

Froilan Castelo, Globe general counsel and senior vice president, also outlined Globe’s plans to support competition.

Globe earlier announced it was in the process of incorporating a tower holding company, which would be its vehicle to “operationalize the divestment of all or parts of its tower assets through a separate company.”

The government’s common tower policy guidelines were released in early July.

The policy paves the way for the government to accredit at least two independent tower companies by early 2019. The two companies will be expected to build around 50,000 sites at a cost of $4 billion over a period of seven years and potentially acquire existing tower assets of Globe and PLDT.

The policy seeks to encourage telcos to share infrastructure, since independent tower assets would be able to house the equipment of multiple companies. In exchange, the telcos will pay a rental fee.

This would also benefit a new telco, since it would lessen capital expenditures for new sites, the lack of which has been blamed by the incumbents as the reason for spotty mobile services.