The Philippines based Globe Telecom has requested that the telecoms regulator grant it additional 3G spectrum, but at a lower frequency so that it can expand its 3G coverage into rural areas.
"The frequencies are of a lower bandwidth than our current 3G frequency assignment; as such, their transmission and reception capability covers a greater range from a technology standpoint," Globe said in documents submitted to the National Telecommunications Commission, reports the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "This characteristic can permit the use of fewer 3G base stations and network elements, while still providing substantial coverage."
Globe said it was prepared to pay user fees for the additional spectra.
The report did not say which frequencies the company is seeking, but it can be presumed that they wish to reuse their existing 900Mhz for 3G services, as has been proposed in several European countries.
Globe is currently the country's second largest operator (just behind Smart) and ended last September with some 19.2 million subscribers according to figures from the Mobile World database. Of these, just 241,000 were using the 3G network.
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Posted to the site on 9th March 2008
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