Led by the likes of OneWeb and Starlink, satellite has found itself in the spotlight in recent months and, in rural locations, is widely regarded as the most viable alternative to wired connections.
Now, Globe has said that in addition to assessing the suitability of satellites for rural connectivity, it is "in talks with suppliers of other potential broadband technologies from low-earth orbit satellites to the more traditional high-orbit satellites".
Globe did not name the providers, however, the telco did say its Globe At Home service has released more affordable services and packages across its portfolio to support disadvantaged households.
“We see the satellite service as a promising deployment model that can reach the rural areas where there’s not much household density and will be challenging to roll out wired services,” said Darius Delgado, Globe vice president and head of broadband business.
“It’s really about having something relevant that we can serve up reliably to address customer needs,” Delgado added.
His comments followed the release of Globe's Q1 financial results, which saw home broadband subscriber numbers reach four million over the quester – an increase of 81% on last year's figure.
Globe said the growth was supported by "the sustained fixed wireless broadband users’ expansion, now up by 105% from last year".
Net income increased 11% year on year, reaching P7.3 billion.
Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO, said: “In the first six months of 2020, the economy was largely free from the effects of Covid, unlike in 2021. Yet we manage to have an improved year on year performance despite the semi-lockdown during this period.
"Looking ahead, we believe that Globe is well positioned to provide more digital solutions and innovative offers to make our services more relevant to our valued customers, especially during this time of crisis. Our 5G and fibre rollout as well as the continuous upgrading of our network will remain our utmost priority, as reliable connectivity is indispensable, both to overcome the pandemic and help fuel the recovery of the country’s economy,” Cu continued.
