Globe hikes investments in 'Fiber to the Home'

Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. on Thursday said it has increased its investments in Fiber to the Home (FTTH) by 189% this year compared to last year.

This, as the telco ramps up its efforts to bring high-speed and improved broadband services to more homes across the country.

FTTH refers to the delivery of broadband internet services from a central location directly to private homes of buildings through the use of fiber optic cables.

In a statement, Globe said that FTTH capital expenditures in the first half by more than seven-fold year-on-year.

The investments have translated to a 158% increase in broadband fiber capacity lines as of end September 2020 versus full year 2019, according to the telco.

This is expected to rise further with the continuous rollout of fiber optic networks, it said.

As of August this year, Globe said it already increased its fiber rollouts by nearly 52% compared to full year 2019. 

This covered key locations such as Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Cebu, and Davao del Sur.

Together with the optical fiber deployment, Globe said it is moving its broadband customers to the newer and higher speed network and has migrated 40% of its targeted customers since January this year.

“Data consumption patterns have really shifted to the home.  Classrooms have moved online, many offices are still implementing the work-from-home setup, and entertainment is mostly confined inside the house. Because of this, our first priority is to continue to invest in the network because usage is increasing and demand for broadband services is high,” said Darius Delgado, Globe vice president and head of Broadband Business.

Rolling out fiber to homes is part of Globe’s network expansion and enhancement program which includes the nationwide upgrade of its 3G mobile network to 4G LTE as well as the deployment of 5G in more cities and provinces.

Globe has earmarked P50.3 billion in capital expenditures this year for network improvements. -MDM, GMA News