• EDOTCO is committed to bridging the connectivity gap and supporting the nation’s effort to accelerate digital connectivity.
  • Globe Telecom embraces infrastructure sharing in support of the nation’s efforts to accelerate digital connectivity.
  • Infrastructure sharing will reduce the industry’s capital and operating expenditure by up to US$10 billion and 17 million metric tonnes of carbon footprint reduction.

CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES (1 June 2023) – As it deepens infrastructure sharing among Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), EDOTCO Philippines has found an ally in Globe, one of the Philippines’ top telcos and digital solutions providers that has been its partner since 2020. The partnership has helped boost reliable and affordable 4G and 5G connectivity in communities, businesses and government agencies, particularly in Cebu. 

“One of the biggest challenges in providing reliable digital connectivity is proper planning on the placement of infrastructure that is time and cost-efficient. Infrastructure sharing is the way forward as it will drive holistic telecommunications evolution. EDOTCO’s role is to make next-generation connectivity universally accessible in order to help nations and societies transform digitally, economically and socially,” said Suraj Narayanan, EDOTCO Philippines’ Country Managing Director. 

With more than 54,000 towers in nine markets, EDOTCO strongly advocates for its customers, primarily MNOs, on the concept of tower sharing, offering them efficient capital allocation for faster network rollout. 

According to a study conducted by EDOTCO Group and Roland Berger in 2022, MNOs can save up to US$10 billion through infrastructure sharing, which translates to a cumulative savings of up to US$67 billion for consumers. Tower sharing also encourages sustainable digital connectivity by reducing carbon footprint by up to 17 million metric tonnes.

This is aligned with Globe’s push for equitable access to quality connectivity while at the same time championing network sustainability. Globe has been successful in attaining this feat, recently being named the Most Sustainability-Driven Network Operator and Best Network Reliability in 2023 by independent market research firm Standard Insights. 

“Providing reliable and affordable digital connectivity to the wider community requires strong collaboration between MNOs and common infrastructure providers, which this partnership with EDOTCO demonstrates. Having common infrastructures for sharing will accelerate digital connectivity, which is life-enabling for Filipinos, especially those in remote areas. This is also crucial in promoting network sustainability, for which Globe has been globally recognized,” said Bernard Santos, Globe Assistant Vice President, Strategic Relationships & Business Development , Network Technical Group.

He cited how Globe’s partnership with EDOTCO was vital in providing connectivity in pilot area Toledo City, Cebu, where one of Globe’s towers was severely damaged by powerful Typhoon Odette in December 2021. Globe put up a temporary site to serve the community but needed to expand capacity to accommodate increasing demand. 

“To pilot our partnership, we co-located our active infrastructure in EDOTCO’s tower in Toledo City, Cebu. This allowed us to save time and resources in expediting our permanent facility builds as we aim to provide reliable service and a better experience for our customers. We look forward  to having more towers with co-location in the future,” said Santos.

Globe’s co-location signifies the readiness of MNOs to embrace network sharing in the country. Infrastructure sharing has proven to help MNOs alleviate the cost pressure of building and maintaining towers while enabling them to focus on their core business and new service creation. By reducing overlapping sites and increasing the tenancy ratio per tower, the industry will see significant reduction in capital expenditure (CAPEX) and annual operating expenses (OPEX).

EDOTCO currently operates approximately 3,000 towers in the country, making it the largest tower company in the Philippines. 

“As of 2022, The Philippines recorded close to 90 million internet users with 72.7% internet penetration. We are optimistic about the Philippines’ encouraging connectivity developments. However, studies show that approximately 15% of telecommunication towers throughout the country are overlapping, leading to the duplication of resources and structural inefficiencies. As such, beyond increasing the number of towers to meet the growing demand, it will be more efficient to look at decreasing the number of overlapped sites through infrastructure sharing. Considering this, EDOTCO is poised to introduce innovative solutions and invest in upgrades that will support faster, better and more cost-efficient shared network infrastructure throughout the country,” added Suraj. 

Having been in the industry for over 10 years, EDOTCO has been deploying innovative solutions throughout the region, including built-to-suit (BTS), in-building solutions (IBS), small cell solutions and combined antenna systems. The infrastructure services provider has also tapped into next-generation technology such as predictive analytics, automation and digitalisation, for a more proactive and efficient way to manage telecommunication infrastructure. 

To learn more about EDOTCO, visit the website at www.edotcogroup.com. 

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