Globe Telecom outlined efforts to use satellite technologies to connect rural areas where wired services aren’t available as part of an effort to deliver nationwide internet access.

In a statement, the head of Globe Telecom’s broadband business explained satellite was a promising model with particular benefits in rural areas.

Darius Delgado noted rural areas tend to have little “household density”, posing challenges to the rollout of wired services.

The Philippines-based operator revealed it held discussions with suppliers of alternative broadband technologies using low and high-orbit satellites.

It acknowledged the overall cost structure of building sites anchored on satellite services is a limitation, noting prices need to come down to be financially viable for serving the masses.

Delgado argued speed is not the only factor in providing a good customer experience: “It’s really about having something relevant that we can serve up reliably to address customer needs.”

The operator more than doubled its mobile site deployments in Q1 to 318, and upgraded more than 7,000 sites to LTE.