MWC 2024: Globe conquers world’s biggest mobile industry congress

Leading telco and digital solutions platform Globe raised the Philippine flag at the biggest stage of the global mobile industry over the past week, sharing its innovative, market-first initiatives that enable inclusive and sustainable connectivity to uplift the Filipino.

The Globe delegation to the Mobile World Congress 2024 in Barcelona had a hectic week with industry partners from around the globe, sought after for talks and discussions on the latest mobile industry trends and an outlook on what’s to come.

Ernest Cu, Globe Group President and CEO, led the Globe contingent of senior leaders to the annual event, the flagship mobile industry and tech gathering of GMSA, the global association of mobile operators. This year’s GMSA put a spotlight on 5G, Artificial Intelligence, sustainability, cybersecurity, and the digital future for mobile, among others.

“The Mobile World Congress is an opportunity to not just learn about the latest technologies and trends shaping the mobile industry. More so, it’s a chance for Globe to share to the world our industry-leading efforts to take telco to another level and embed sustainability at the very core of our operations. We are proud to have our top-level delegates engage in various events, waving our flag on the global stage,” said Cu.

Cu was invited to speak about the future of 5G at the GTI Summit on February 27, where he talked about Globe’s strategic approach to 5G. Globe was the first telco to launch 5G commercially in the Philippines in 2019 and continues to expand coverage across the country.

Even as 5G adoption in the Philippines is still in its nascency, Cu said Globe is exploring applications of the technology in the areas of healthcare, education, finance and entertainment, aligned with its pursuit of digital enablement.

“While we believe that 5G adoption and use will take some time to emerge and fully scale, we are actively resolving key challenges of this technology through making 5G more accessible through affordable connectivity offers and devices, and exploration of new applications. In 2023, we delivered the Philippines’ first 5G standalone network slicing function for high-bandwidth activities, and the country’s first Private 5G standalone network,” said Cu.

Meanwhile, Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer at Globe, put a spotlight on Globe’s sustainability efforts, including green network strategies, sustainable supply chain and digital inclusion.

In a session on harnessing ESG for sustainable growth, Crisanto talked about how Globe’s innovation and sustainability strategies roll up to its overall corporate strategy, contributing to the company’s overall brand value, including its ESG scores.

“Globe is at the forefront of integrating sustainability in the way we do business. In line with our Net Zero roadmap, we have placed sustainability at the core of our operations, implementing green network strategies and sustainable supply chain engagements to support global decarbonization targets,” Crisanto said.

In a panel led by STL Partners and Red Hat on “Realizing Value from Enterprise Net Zero Ambitions,” Crisanto spoke about Globe’s holistic approach to achieving Net Zero, in line with its 2050 commitment.

Rebecca Eclipse, Globe’s Chief Transformation and Chief Experience Officer, meanwhile, joined a panel discussion at the Digital Operations Transformation Summit at MWC, where she talked about AI adoption and how it can benefit the telco business.

“AI, when used strategically and responsibly, can revolutionize the telco business in a multitude of ways, from data analytics to customer experience. We in Globe are exploring this technology to improve the way we do business so that, ultimately, we can better serve our customers,” said Eclipse.

Other Globe leaders took part in various events during MWC week.

Darius Delgado, Vice President and Head of Globe’s Consumer Mobile Business, was a guest at Amdocs’ “The Great Indoors Podcast.”

Dennis Abella, Globe Vice President for Operations Systems Support Program Delivery, talked about the impact of Zero Touch Operations and Service Assurance Automation in a fireside chat with MYCOM OSI, a leader in Network Assurance and Service Experience Assurance for communications service providers.

In the same session, Eric Guiao, Globe Senior Director for Technical Assistance Center at Globe, gave a sneak peek into Globe’s journey in the automation of the Globe network and its service operation centers, and how the company has been enhancing customer experience through Service Assurance.

Garret Silao, Vice President for Security Operations in Globe, meanwhile, joined the GSMA CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) Roundtable and spoke about how Globe has been boosting its cybersecurity efforts in the face of evolving threats.

Globe’s engagements in MWC 2024 affirm its position as a Filipino brand well regarded in the global community and a leader in innovation, new tech adoption and sustainability.