THE Philippines remains behind its Asian peers in digital infrastructure, with fewer than 38,000 cell sites in 2025 against the estimated 50,000 needed to serve its 113 million mobile users.
Indonesia has more than 121,000 towers, Vietnam about 90,000, and even Myanmar now outpaces Manila in tower density, underscoring persistent gaps in coverage and reliability.
Globe Telecom said its network now reaches 96 percent of the population, or about 106 million people, but some 4.2 million remain outside coverage. To close the gap, the company rolled out 487 new towers, upgraded nearly 4,000 sites with LTE and activated 235 5G sites in the first quarter.
Globe’s 5G footprint now supports 9.5 million devices, with 600 operational sites in remote areas and a year-end target of 700.
Chief executive officer Carl Cruz said every new tower improves access to education, commerce and communication, stressing that stronger digital infrastructure is key to keeping the Philippines competitive in Asia. / KOC