Globe Telecom, Inc. launched on Thursday its fifth-generation (5G) services, becoming the first Philippine carrier to make the next generation connectivity standard available commercially.
The Ayala-led company is partnering with Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. for the development of its 5G network, which will be launched through a home broadband service initially.
Globe is the first in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia to launch 5G, said Ernest Cu, president and chief executive officer of Globe, during the launch.
"And the countries ahead of us are (South) Korea and Japan. Can you imagine? We're in great company, right, to be able launch this technology," Cu said.
"What it really means is for the Filipino families and I think the Philippines is freedom, freedom to be able to experience the internet much faster than what's there before without having to deploy fiber," he added.
Although the technology is new and still unproven, Cu said early indications are that "it really opens up a whole new world of possibilities."
Globe was initially planning to roll out in locations with high density of cell sites such as Metro Manila and other urban centers.
Fifth-generation or 5G is a new mobile standard that will offer much faster internet speeds and less lag. The technology is seen as the next mobile technology that will revolutionize not only the way people communicate with each other, but also how devices connect to one another to create a smart environment.
Industry giant PLDT Inc. is targeting to launch 5G services for select home broadband and corporate customers by the fourth quarter of 2019, PLDT chair and CEO Manuel Pangilinan said last week.
Pangilinan said his group will most likely launch its own 5G services for the home and enterprise within the fourth quarter, as the group guns to finish its pilot testing for 5G use cases in the coming months.
"We might start with the home and enterprise. But what we have to ask are what the relevant cities, customer premises equipment are for home and enterprise," he told reporters last week.
