AS a testament to Globe’s commitment to provide internet access to all Filipinos, the Company invested a
total of ₱60.3 billion in capex in 2020, surpassing last year’s record level spending by 18%. Also, 2020
capex represented 41% of gross service revenues and 82% of EBITDA. Majority of the capex or about
86% went to data-related requirements to meet the growing data demands of Filipinos nationwide.
Full year 2021 cash capex is expected to reach a new record of ₱70.0 billion to execute the Company’s
network roll-out strategy that includes aggressive cell site builds, upgrade of all its sites to Fourth
Generation/Long-Term Evolution technology (4G/LTE), and fast-tracking the fiberization of Filipino
homes nationwide. This record-breaking capital expenditure supports Globe’s continuous modernization
of its network to make 5G as well as fiber technology available to customers in more areas in the country.
Globe’s massive network investments likewise prove its strong support of the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9 which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation
as crucial drivers of economic growth and development.
Despite the continuing impact of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Globe was able to build
close to 1,300 new cell sites or cell towers, up from 1,100 the previous year. Also, the aggressive
modernization of its existing network infrastructure resulted to a total of 11,529 site upgrades to 4G/LTE
this year, higher than the 10,135 in 2019. Moreover, Globe deployed 5G sites in Metro Manila, as well as
certain cities in Visayas and Mindanao making 5G available in 1,045 areas in the country. These network
improvements enhanced the customer experience and the Filipino digital lifestyle, and addressed the
challenges of the new normal. The new site builds and network upgrades all over the country were validated
by an increase in mobile consistency scores across all regions as indicated in the recent report from an
independent analytics firm, Ookla®. Its quarterly data shows that Globe’s overall Consistency Score in the
fourth quarter of 2020 improved to 60.82% from previous quarter’s 56.83%. Globe’s regional mobile
Consistency Score™ also improved from the previous quarter in 16 out of 17 regions. In addition, Globe
registered increases as high as 10 PPTs (percentage points), with Consistency Scores ranging from 39%
and 65% in the last quarter of 2020.
Globe financial and operating results for 2020 reported consolidated service revenues of ₱146.4 billion, a
moderate decline of 2% from the record level of ₱149.0 billion reported a year ago.
