Philippine mobile operators Smart and Globe Telecom will spend heavily in 2014 on increasing their respective mobile data capacity.
Smart parent PLDT has allocated 17 billion pesos ($380 million) in capex for the mobile unit, a 30% increase from 2013, InterAksyon reported.
The company will focus its spending on building 3G and wireless broadband coverage, expanding its transmission network and increasing its international bandwidth capabilities, PLDT said.
Smart has been busy expanding its 3G footprint and rolling out HSPA+ mobile broadband services in urban areas. The mobile operator currently has around 1,100 LTE base stations.
Globe Telecom has meanwhile announced a total planned capex budget of 27 billion pesos, of which around a quarter will be spent on data-related investments including its LTE rollout.
The company is focused on rolling out more 3G and 4G cell sites to meet mobile data demand. Last year, revenue from mobile data services reached 11.6 billion pesos, or 16% of Globe's total mobile revenues.
Globe will also pursue more alliances with online service providers - such as its partnership with Facebook to offer unmetered access to the social network for its mobile customers - and is working to enhance its mobile wallet service GCash.