To sustain LTE roaming service Globe strengthens ties w/ Korean telco

CEBU, Philippines - Globe Telecom strengthens partnership with SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest mobile operator,  to further expand its LTE international data roaming service coverage.

With this service, tourists coming to the Philippines will enjoy seamless connectivity, empowering them with efficient multi-tasking and rich content data applications in Globe LTE-covered areas in the country. This means ultrafast browsing and multimedia streaming on their mobile phones, allowing them faster and more seamless connectivity when they use social networking sites to connect with their friends and relatives in South Korea, do video calls, and other web-based mobile activities.

“Globe was the first to introduce LTE international data roaming in the Philippines partnering with the biggest carriers abroad such as China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited and now with SK Telecom to provide travelers to the Philippines superior browsing experience and seamless connectivity” explains Rizza Maniego- Eala, Group Head for Globe’s International Business.

Globe first launched its partnership with China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited in October last year. 

As of April 2013, the Globe LTE network has quickly expanded to cover more areas nationwide. Aside from Makati, Globe LTE coverage is now available in select areas in Manila, Pasig, Quezon City, Taguig, Muntinlupa, Mandaluyong, Cebu City, Davao City, and Boracay. The Globe LTE rollout focuses on large, contiguous areas instead of sporadic distribution in the form of pocket activations or hot spots to ensure greater and more stable coverage.

For its part, SK Telecom Senior Vice President and Head of the Operators Collaboration Marketing Office Kim Young-Sup said:  "The commercialization of LTE auto-roaming services with Globe and SingTel follows a consensus among members of the Bridge Alliance (BA) that LTE data roaming takes an important role in the future direction of next generation services, thus calling for strategic partnerships between carriers around the world." 

The strengthening of the partnership between Globe and SK Telecom is a further boost to the already robust South Korean visitors market which is the largest tourism market in the Philippines for 2012.

Of the total 4.3-million tourist arrivals in the Philippines last year, 24.13% or more than one million tourists were from South Korea, a jump of 9% from the figures in 2011.

“We are very pleased with our strengthened partnerships with SK Telecom and China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited. Now, more tourists can continue to enjoy high speed LTE connection when they are in the Philippines,” Maniego-Eala said.

Moving forward, Globe is heavily expanding its LTE roaming service with operators from Australia, Singapore, US, Japan, Canada and the Middle East. (FREEMAN)