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 Filipinos.

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 spotlighted 5G, Artificial Intelligence, sustainability, cybersecurity, and the digital future of mobile, among other topics.

“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 our industry-leading efforts to take telco to another level and embed sustainability at the core of our operations. We are proud to have our top-level delegates engage in various events, waving our flag on the global stage,” Cu said.

Cu was invited to speak about the future of 5G at the GTI Summit on 27 February. He discussed 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 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 by 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,” Cu said.

Meanwhile, Yoly Crisanto, Globe’s chief sustainability and corporate communications officer, spotlighted Globe’s sustainability efforts, including green network strategies, sustainable supply chains and digital inclusion.

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