Friday, October 12, 2007 Telco eyes growth in broadband
ONE of the country’s major telecommunication companies announced it will put more focus on developing its broadband infrastructure as more Filipinos rely on the Internet for their businesses and other personal needs.
Globe Telecom consumer wireless business group chief Ferdinand Dela Cruz said the company also foresees more growth in mobile Internet use as 3G (third generation technology) become more “mass- based.”
“We see the future in broadband. It will definitely become very big,” he said during a press briefing in Cebu City yesterday.
Globe recently forged a partnership with Yahoo! to be able to provide more services to subscribers through mobile Internet access.
Dela Cruz said Globe also see further growth in multi-media businesses and mobile commerce.
He said Globe is establishing closer ties with television networks in the country to enhance its multi-media services, which enable subscribers to access TV programs with their mobile handsets and other digital content.
He said mobile commerce is another growth sector for Globe, which includes services through G-Cash (which involves the use of a debit card that can be used to purchase goods and services) and mobile banking.
Lots of room
“Geographically, there is still a lot of room for growth in Visayas and Mindanao,” he said, adding that Globe’s penetration in Visayas and Mindanao is only 40 percent while in Luzon it is 50 percent to 60 percent.
“The rate of increase (of subscriber base) in Visayas and Mindanao is very good,” he said, adding that the area is Globe’s fastest growing market.
“And growth in Cebu is much higher,” he said. He added that 55 percent of the company’s broadband users are in the Visayas and Mindanao, of which 42 percent are in Cebu.
Cebu also accounts for 35 percent of Globe’s landline subscribers in the Visayas and Mindanao.
Dela Cruz said Globe is also focusing on Filipinos working or living overseas. To cater to their needs, Globe has partnered with international telecommunications companies like Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel).
Globe’s mobile subscribers nationwide is about 18 million while about 95,000 use its broadband services. Its landline network connects more than 350,000 users.
Dela Cruz said Globe’s wireless customers still account for 90 percent of its revenues. Major market segments of Globe are overseas Filipinos, youth and high-end users, he added.
Dela Cruz also assured that Globe is “investing a lot” to protect its broadband system from an incident similar to the earthquake in Taiwan, which damaged telecommunications systems in Asia.
“We’re putting a lot of money into redundancy, diversity and (establishing plenty of) options,” he said.
In the same press briefing, Globe officials launched the company’s new corporate logo dubbed, Globe Life.
The logo signifies all the products and services of Globe, said dela Cruz. “Before it (logo) was more product-based, (now) it’s customer-based,” he added. (LAP)
