BASILAN– Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia A. Turabin-Hataman met with Globe Telecom President and CEO Carl Cruz with senior company officials to discuss the telco’s accelerated broadband expansion aimed at connecting more households and small businesses in Isabela de Basilan.
Mayor Hataman welcomed the initiative, citing its alignment with the city’s upward economic trajectory, which recorded a 31% increase in business activity from the previous year. She reaffirmed the city government’s commitment to fast-track application and implementation processes within regulatory guidelines to support ongoing and future investments.
Globe reported that it began the year with nine on-air cell sites in Isabela City and has since added eight more, with three additional sites scheduled for completion before year-end. For 2026, the company plans to build 12 new sites, three of which already have permits, seven awaiting LGU approval, and two undergoing acquisition.
The company also outlined progress in its broadband and fiber-to-the-home expansion. Lines increased from 112 to an expected 432 by year-end, with an additional 1,100 lines scheduled for rollout in 2025 using Quick ODN technology to speed up deployment and improve service.
Globe executives presented updates on their Submarine Cable Program, which will establish a landing station in Isabela City to accommodate rising data traffic across the BASULTA region. Marine surveying is set for early Q1 2026, with full construction targeted by Q2 2027.
“Fixed broadband remains a key growth driver for us. With user data consumption now exceeding 30GB per user each month, we’re refining our fiber strategy beyond just connectivity—it’s about powering homes, uplifting small enterprises, and fueling the broader digital economy,” said Globe President and CEO Carl Cruz.
Filipinos currently spend nearly nine hours online daily, according to the latest Digital 2025 Report. However, fixed broadband remains out of reach for many, with only a third of households connected as of 2024, based on DICT data—figures that further emphasize the national connectivity gap.
“We’re doing more than laying down cables. We’re building digital bridges for millions of Filipinos to access new opportunities,” Cruz added.
To address this, Globe is expanding GFiber offerings, including its fast-growing GFiber Prepaid, which posted a 53% surge in the first quarter of 2025 and now serves 400,000 homes. Globe currently has 1.83 million broadband subscribers nationwide.
The company emphasized that its rollout supports the National Broadband Plan and aims to uplift Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs). Globe has migrated over 600 towns in 70 provinces to full fiber connectivity, replacing copper lines to boost service stability and reduce e-waste.
“Much like our transition from 2G to 4G, fiber modernization brings transformative benefits. This is about more than speed—it’s about equity and long-term sustainability,” the president said.
Globe noted that it has invested P228 billion in capital expenditures and P236 billion in operating expenses over the past three years to modernize and future-proof its network.
“We’re not just building faster connections—we’re building a more inclusive, more connected Philippines,” Cruz added.
The company expressed gratitude to Mayor Hataman and the LGU for their continued support, noting that the partnership will help deliver improved and reliable connectivity to residents of Isabela de Basilan in the coming years.
Cruz was joined by Globe executives Evelyn Jimenez, Rebecca Eclipse, Joel Agustin, Khristine B. Ekong, Helen Grace Marquez. (END)
