Globe Telecom broadband subscriber base up by 95%

CEBU, Philippines - In its effort to leverage in the broadband business in the telecommunication industry in the Philippines, Globe Telecom posted a 95 percent growth of its total broadband subscriber base as of end September this year.

In the company’s official report released yesterday, Globe reported a total of 1.006 million subscribers. This figure is nearly double the 517,355 broadband subscribers recorded in the same period of last year.

“We are seeing robust growth in subscriber take up for our DSL, Broadband Tattoo and Wimax offers, especially in the provinces,” said Globe president and chief executive officer (CEO) Ernest Cu.

With this positive development, Cu expects the growth to continue by year-end. “We aim to be the preferred provider by more subscribers as we introduce new products and improve the surfing experience of our customers.”

Since 2006, the Ayala-led company has seen tremendous growth in its broadband users, with a compounded growth rate of 123 percent.

Meanwhile, Globe also hit another milestone when its Globe Wimax subscribers surpassed the 100 thousand mark in July of this year.

To date, Globe has one of the largest Wimax deployments in Southeast Asia, where other Wimax providers are just starting to roll out their services for the at-home broadband market.

The Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, otherwise known as Wimax, is a next-generation fixed wireless broadband technology that Globe launched 16 months ago in its effort to provide Filipino consumers with an affordable and reliable high-speed Internet service in areas not covered by traditional wired Internet solutions and speeds that are faster than many other broadband services.

Globe claimed that it has the largest Wimax network in the Philippines, covering nearly 60 provinces and 365 cities, including Metro Manila, Caloocan, Cainta, Antipolo, Taytay, Plaridel, Cabanatuan, Dasmarinas, Bacoor, Imus, Tanza, Calamba, Batangas City, Cebu City, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.

Globe has successfully rolled-out its broadband network infrastructure across the Philippines. Of its US$500 million capital expenditure for 2010, it has invested US$120 million for the expansion of its broadband network for the first six months.

Globe also offers Globe DSL service, a wired broadband option that gives stability and speed for home use at speeds of up to 2MBPS.

The company also provides Globe HyperSpeed, a high-powered GPON connection which delivers speed ranging from 10mbps to a high of 100mbps.

Globe Wimax subscribers can choose from an array of prepaid or postpaid plans, which support the company’s goal of making broadband access affordable and accessible to a broader base of users.

Aside from its array of broadband services, Globe also launched the Globe Tattoo MyFi, an all-in-one wireless modem/router that enables users to share their Internet access with up to five WiFi-capable access devices simultaneously within a radius of 30 to 100 meters.