As telco race heats up, Globe sees risks, opportunities

MANILA, Philippines — Telco-to-tech provider Globe Telecom Inc. expects tighter competition in the connectivity space with demand for data rising by up to three times and a law opening up the industry is about to be in force.

Globe president and CEO Carl Cruz sees telco competition heating up following the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 12234 or the Konektadong Pinoy Act.

Cruz said Globe is scanning all angles to ensure it stays competitive, especially in the broadband space, ahead of the looming entry of new data transmission industry participants (DTIPs).

Likewise, DTIPs may find it attractive to enter the Philippines in light of its zooming demand for connectivity services. Cruz said Globe sees data requirements of Filipinos rising by three times, particularly as digital services become part of their everyday life.

Citing the Digital 2026 Report of DataReportal, Cruz said Filipinos now rank as one of the most frequent users of generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform ChatGPT. If this keeps up, Cruz underscored the need for telcos to source more data capacity.

Cruz said AI, being one of the most powerful solutions right now, requires digital infrastructure to run reliably, so telcos have to invest in additional assets to serve the demand.

With higher demand and more competitors on the horizon, Cruz is confident that Globe can hold on as a dominant player in the telco industry.

For one, the telco is building up its network capacity to stay ahead of the curve, recently signing a multi-year deal with Amazon Web Services to strengthen its cloud infrastructure.

Further, Globe is covering all corners of the connectivity market, from premium to low-cost. The telco’s retail broadband called GFiber Prepaid is picking up more subscribers, now serving up to 700,000, as Filipinos look for affordable options to stay online.

Globe is also solidifying its leadership in the mobile segment, where it draws its largest revenue. As of September, Globe serves an industry-leading customer base of 63.1 million.