MANILA - Globe Telecom announced Thursday its "largest network upgrade" after the government called for enhanced internet service especially during the pandemic.

The plan includes accelerating cell site builds, expanding coverage and increasing capacity for data, Globe Telecom said in a statement. The upgrade was set 10 years after it launched its nationwide transformation program, it said

Globe said it would upgrade all its sites to have 4G/LTE using many different frequencies which are critical for coverage and speeds. Deploying 4G nationwide means the entire country will be "data-ready," it said.

Fiber to homes will also be fast-tracked to improve wireline connections, the Ayala-led telco said. All these upgrades are expected to be completed by 2021, Globe said.

"Globe is in a much better position now to fulfill the demands of its customers. In heeding the call of the government, we shall endeavor to provide our customers with improved network performance and quality of service. We look towards the future where our country would have a strong digital economy backed by resilient and reliable connectivity," Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said.

This year, Globe said it allocated P50.3 billion in capital expenditures, majority of which would be spent on network upgrades.

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Its rival PLDT Inc also disclosed its ramped up telco site builds while third player DITO Telecommunity is rolling its network for the scheduled March 2021 launch.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in his 5th State of the Nation Address, urged telcos to improve service by December or face closure and seizure of assets.

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