Globe Telecom remains optimistic about the country’s telecom sector, citing strong demand and a tech-savvy population despite global shifts in the mobile industry.
Speaking at the GSMA Digital Nations Summit in Manila, Globe president and CEO Carl Cruz said the country continues to outperform global averages in mobile’s economic contribution. According to the GSMA Digital Nations APAC Report 2025, the mobile ecosystem accounts for 8.4 percent to 8.6 percent of the Philippines’ GDP, higher than the global average of 7.7 percent.
Cruz noted that local operators are also investing far more heavily than their global peers. While telecom firms worldwide spend about 16 percent of revenues on capital expenditures, Philippine operators invest around 37 percent as they expand networks to meet nationwide demand.
The Philippines remains one of the most active digital markets globally. Filipinos spend nearly nine hours online daily—third highest in the world—and rank sixth globally in the adoption of AI tools like ChatGPT.
However, infrastructure gaps persist. The country has only about 40,000 cell towers serving more than 115 million people. By comparison, Thailand has roughly 90,000 towers for its 70 million population, underscoring the need for more infrastructure.
Cruz said rising AI usage will further strain networks, making high-capacity fiber systems and lower-latency data transport essential. He added that building a national fiber backbone is critical, with government agencies already working on initial plans.
Other Globe executives at the summit highlighted priorities such as infrastructure modernization, open APIs, cybersecurity, scam prevention, AI readiness, and digital inclusion. They stressed that close industry-government cooperation will be key to advancing these initiatives.
Despite challenges, Globe sees strong growth potential, supported by the country’s young population and a policy environment that values digital access.
