The Philippines' Globe Telecom has contracted Alcatel-Lucent to transform its wireless broadband network infrastructure in Visayas and Mindanao from Wimax to TD-LTE.
As part of the contract, Globe Telecom will deploy Alcatel-Lucent's LTE RAN equipment at around 1,200 cell sites in the region
The deal also covers the supply of a converged network management system and professional services including installation, integration and project management.
Announcing the deal, Globe CEO Ernest Cu said the upgrade marks an effort to bring high-speed mobile broadband access to the region, which consists of 7,107 geographically diverse islands.
“The rollout of LTE technologies will provide increased internet and fixed/wireless broadband capacity... for our customers in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. This is particularly significant for the Visayas region which is still recovering from last year’s severe typhoon,” he said.
Cu added that the project will also serve to support the Philippine government's push to expand the nation's broadband penetration.