Globe Telecom and Nokia completed a field trial of a variant of vendor’s interleaved passive active antennas (IPAAs) designed for the requirements of the operator’s network on the island of Mindanao, advancing the operator’s 5G deployment.

Nokia stated it is moving to deploy the next-generation antennas across the southern islands of the Philippines to boost 4G and 5G rollouts.

It said the compact, modular design requires less space than other antennas, enabling faster site acquisition.

Globe Telecom head of network planning and engineering Joel Agustin explained the antennas address “enduring pain points” in site acquisition and total cost-of-ownership.

“Simplifying the rollout of 4G and 5G services will greatly improve our customer experience.”

Jeciel Nuyda, president at Nokia Shanghai Bell Philippines, said its IPAAs are lighter, more modular and cover all sub-6GHz 5G frequency bands.