Globe Sees Opportunities Ahead for the Philippines

Globe Telecom affirmed that the Philippines is entering a more connected, innovation-hungry, and opportunity-rich phase of digital growth—one shaped not only by its youthful demographics but by shifting global technology cycles.

Speaking at the GSMA Digital Nations Summit Manila, Globe Telecom President and CEO Carl Cruz noted that while the relative contribution of mobile services to GDP has softened worldwide, the Philippines continues to outperform global averages. (Photo: City Government of Isabela de Basilan Facebook)

Globe President and CEO Carl Cruz said that despite turbulence in the global mobile landscape, the country’s momentum remains resilient and structurally strong.

“I’m hopeful and optimistic about the Philippine telecom industry because we still have many opportunities ahead,” Cruz said.

“We have a young population, strong digital habits, and real demand. We need to further unlock that potential.”

Speaking at the GSMA Digital Nations Summit Manila, Cruz noted that while the relative contribution of mobile services to GDP has softened worldwide, the Philippines continues to outperform global averages.

According to the GSMA Digital Nations APAC Report 2025, the Philippine mobile ecosystem contributes between 8.4 and 8.6 percent of GDP, compared with the global benchmark of 7.7 percent—reflecting a digital economy that is expanding in both breadth and depth.

Where the country truly distinguishes itself is in investment intensity.

Globally, operators allocate an average of 16 percent of revenues to capital expenditures. In the Philippines, the industry invests about 37 percent—more than twice the global norm and exceeding peers in Southeast Asia.

This sustained CAPEX reflects both network catch-up and the structural need to serve one of the world’s heaviest digital user bases.

Filipinos remain among the most active digital citizens on the planet. With an average of nine hours online each day, the Philippines ranks third globally in daily internet consumption.

The country also places sixth worldwide in the adoption of AI tools such as ChatGPT—an early indicator of a population ready to integrate generative AI into daily work, commerce, and learning.

These habits position the Philippines as a strong candidate for digital leapfrogging but also expose constraints in existing network capacity. A critical challenge remains tower density.

The Philippines operates around 40,000 towers for more than 115 million people.

By contrast, Thailand—with roughly 70 million residents—manages about 90,000 towers.

This disparity underscores the urgent need for infrastructure acceleration, streamlined permitting, and broader adoption of shared facilities. Without such shifts, digital demand will continue to outpace physical capacity.

The pressures brought by artificial intelligence add another layer of urgency. As Cruz emphasized, mobile networks alone cannot meet the traffic requirements of AI-driven applications.

The future requires high-capacity fiber backbones, scalable data-transport systems, edge computing, and lower-latency architectures. Early planning by government agencies is beginning to outline this national fiber framework, but implementation will require deep public–private alignment.

The emerging message is clear: telecom is no longer a standalone industry—it is the foundation of the country’s digital competitiveness.

Regulatory clarity, spectrum efficiency, right-of-way reforms, and policies that encourage shared infrastructure will determine how fast the Philippines can scale into a true digital nation.

Despite these challenges, the country’s outlook remains decidedly positive.

With a young, tech-forward population and a policy environment increasingly recognizing digital access as a public good, Globe sees significant room to strengthen its network, platforms, and digital capabilities.

These conditions, Cruz emphasized, place the company—and the country—on solid footing to unlock greater opportunity for Filipino consumers, enterprises, and the wider digital economy.