Philippines-based Globe Telecom set its sights on the underserved prepaid fibre segment to drive growth in home broadband, as gains in the post-paid side during 2022 were not enough to offset a decline in the legacy business.

Globe Telecom used its Q4 earning release to note annual gains in post-paid fibre subscribers and revenue of 35 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively.

“Despite the performance of the fibre business, the addressable post-paid fibre market reached saturation levels with the wider market remaining underserved,” Globe stated.

Home broadband revenue fell from PHP29.4 billion ($533.9 million) in 2021 to PHP27.1 billion last year, and subscribers 20 per cent to 2.6 million.

Globe Telecom noted the shift to the prepaid segment is driven by demand for reliable and affordable internet connectivity. It is now offering a public Wi-Fi plan enabling small shops and community centres to become hotspots.

Bloomberg reported Globe Telecom plans to introduce a prepaid fibre service in Q2.

Globe Telecom deployed more than 1.4 million FTTH lines in 2022, compared with 1.45 million in 2021.

SpaceX’s Starlink is working with the Philippines government to launch nationwide satellite-based broadband service by mid-2023, while Smart Communications has deals with US-based Omnispace and AST SpaceMobile to explore delivering connectivity from space.