At least 80% of Metro Manila can now access Globe Telecom’s 5G outdoor coverage, as it ramps up its infrastructure upgrade around the country.

According to Globe, 3 central business districts are nearing 100% coverage: Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City (97%), Ortigas Center in Pasig City (97%), and Makati (95%).

The following, meanwhile, are the top 9 areas with the highest 5G outdoor coverage:

1. San Juan City (91%)
2. Pateros (91%)
3. Mandaluyong City (86%)
4. Makati City (84%)
5. Caloocan City (84%)
6. City of Manila (83%)
7. Marikina City (83%)
8. Pasig City (81%)
9. Quezon City (80%)

According to Globe, 884 locations in the metropolis have been upgraded to make 5G available to customers.

“With our aggressive rollouts, our network is getting closer to making the whole of Metro Manila 5G-ready. Ultimately, our goal is to make the 5G experience as pervasive as possible,” said Globe president and chief executive officer Ernest Cu.

In other parts of the country, Globe has completed the upgrade to 5G-ready 4G LTE infrastructure in Pampanga, Laguna, and Batangas. In the Visayas and Mindanao, Globe said modernization in Cebu City and Davao City is at 61% and 60% coverage, respectively.

For 2021, the telco earmarked P70 billion for capital expenditures, the bulk of which will be for network expansion nationwide. It targets to build at least 2,000 new cell sites and increase fiber rollouts.

In October 2020, Globe completed the removal of 3G SIM cards from its distribution chains, as it strives to make 4G LTE the standard for mobile internet. – Rappler.com