Globe Telecom increases CAPEX by USD100m to boost mobile data expansion

Ayala-led Globe Telecom has increased its 2017 capital expenditure budget by USD100 million to accelerate the expansion of its mobile data network. The revision boosts total spending for this year to USD850 million as Globe looks to improve internet services in the Philippines – a long term aim for the administration of controversial president Rodrigo Duterte. Globe says the additional funds will allow for more deployments of LTE services, as well as increasing 3G network capacity and coverage. ‘We expect to further enhance customer experience as we continue with the aggressive deployment of LTE sites, utilising the 700MHz, 1800MHz and 2600MHz frequencies to address the growing customer demand for bandwidth amid the swelling consumption of multi-media content,’ said the firm’s president and chief executive, Ernest Cu. Globe spent around USD550 million in capital expenditures in the first six months of 2017 primarily to support demand for data across mobile, broadband and enterprise segments.