Enterprise

Globe launches Southeast Asia’s first 5G service backed by Huawei

Ultra-fast internet coming to homes first

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Image credit: Globe

Local telcos have been telling Filipinos that the Philippines will not be left behind in the 5G race. True to their promise, Globe Telecom launched its 5G broadband service. The word 5G might be new to some because it’s just making its way to select countries. The Philippines is now the first one to have commercial 5G service in Southeast Asia.

Before we get too excited, it’s worth noting that Globe’s initial 5G service is limited for homes, and it’s not yet for mobile devices. Globe will soon offer fixed wireless broadband using 5G technology to deliver fiber-like speeds. Basically, Globe is keen to deliver high-speed internet to Filipino homes wirelessly rather than rolling out fiber optics cables. Truth be told, the process of laying out fiber optics are always met with drastic delays due to bureaucracy.

With Globe At Home Air Fiber 5G, the telco will offer postpaid plans starting July 2019 with promised speeds of up to 100Mbps and up to 2 terabytes of monthly data allowance. It’s not unlimited, but you practically have more than 60GB of data to play with every single day.

The plans start at PhP 1,899, which is at par with Globe’s current wired broadband services:

  • Plan 1899 — up to 20Mbps
  • Plan 2499 — up to 50Mbps
  • Plan 2899 — up to 100Mbps

Initially, the service will be available in select areas of Pasig City in Metro Manila, and in the province of Cavite and Bulacan.

Despite the privacy issues and sanctions thrown by the US, Globe has pushed through their plan to use Huawei equipment, including radios and modems, to deliver 5G broadband internet. Even before, Globe is in partnership with Huawei for its 4G service alongside with Nokia.

Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu disclosed that the company has been spending over 21 percent of its annual revenue to upgrade and expand. In 2018, the company spent PhP 43.3 billion for its broadband services. Hopefully, the use of 5G will enable more homes with a faster and more reliable internet connection.

SEE ALSO: Globe, Smart downplay Huawei ban imposed by US government

Enterprise

Cebu Pacific becomes 1st SEA low-cost carrier with Starlink Wi-Fi

Rollout expected to begin in 2027

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Cebu Pacific has introduced Starlink, making it the first low-cost airline in Southeast Asia to bring Wi-Fi in the sky for passengers.

The rollout is expected to begin in 2027. Starlink delivers an unparalleled broadband experience inflight, with high-speed, low-latency Wi-Fi capable of HD streaming, online gaming, productivity and more.

Beyond enhancing the passenger experience, Starlink will also support improved operational connectivity for Cebu Pacific’s flight crews and operational teams. This enables better operational efficiency.

The collaboration is a significant milestone for Philippine aviation. The rollout forms part of Cebu Pacific’s continued investment in customer experience and digital innovation.

As part of the partnership, Cebu Pacific and Indigo Partners portfolio airlines, Wizz Air, and JetSMART expect to install Starlink on over 1,000 aircraft.

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Enterprise

Google ordered to pay EUR 4.1 billion in fines

The EU alleges that Google uses its apps to establish an unfair dominance.

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European fines have unintentionally become a normal part of doing business in the American technology space. For too long have American companies paid paltry fines to prevent harsher regulation in the European Union. Now, for the first time, Google is about to pay a record-breaking fine that goes beyond “paltry.”

Today, via CNBC, Google has been ordered to pay an astonishing EUR 4.1 billion (or approximately US$ 4.67 billion) in fines. The fine is in response to an anti-competition case.

This has been a long time coming for Google. The original case started in 2018. At the time, the European Union accused the brand of using anti-competitive practices to ensure its dominance in the smartphone market. According to the courts, the company’s bundling of first-party apps for every Android smartphone gives them an unfair advantage in the market and lessens the user’s choice in selecting apps.

For years, Google has fought the fine to seemingly no avail. Now, the company has lost its final attempt, which means that the fine still stands. On the bright side, they did get it reduced from the original EUR 4.34 billion fine.

The European Union is the scourge of every American tech company (and a godsend to consumers). Most notably, the continent’s government forced Apple to adopt USB-C, leading to a more universal experience across brands.

Google’s hefty fine aims to do the same. And it is quite hefty. Whereas previous fines were in the millions (and hence, negligible for most companies), a fine in the billions is more tangible.

SEE ALSO: Google might limit free storage to only 5GB

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Apps

foodpanda relaunches cult-favorite roast chicken brand after 8 years of persistent search queries

Heritage chain Andok’s returns to the platform, driven entirely by long-term user analytics.

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In the world of e-commerce and food delivery, platform algorithms usually dictate what consumers see. But occasionally, consumer behavior is so relentless that it shapes the platform’s strategy.

In a move driven entirely by long-term user analytics, foodpanda has officially relaunched Andok’s, one of the Philippines’ most iconic heritage rotisserie chains, back onto its platform after an eight-year absence.

The search bar as a digital wishlist

The decision to ink the partnership wasn’t just a marketing play. It was a response to an ongoing data anomaly. Despite being offline from the foodpanda platform for eight years, Andok’s consistently ranked as one of the most-searched merchants on the app.

Year after year, users treated the empty search results page as an unofficial wishlist. This persistent search intent gave foodpanda a clear, data-backed signal of pent-up demand.

Prior to the official digital rollout, teaser campaigns on social media validated this demand, generating thousands of organic interactions from users anticipating the return.

Bridging heritage flavor with digital infrastructure

For foodpanda, onboarding a merchant with this level of built-in demand fits its broader strategy of marketplace optimization and hyper-local network expansion, turning a heritage brand into another data point for how legacy retail plugs into delivery infrastructure.

For Andok’s, the integration works as a fast track to digital scale. A legacy quick-service chain skips years of independent app development and reaches customers already using foodpanda’s existing logistics network, on a platform they already check daily.

Andok’s built its following on charcoal spit-roasted chicken, a slow-cooked technique that’s stayed largely unchanged since the brand’s early days, alongside seasoned grilled pork belly.

More recently, the Dokito line extended that following into crispy fried chicken and chicken burgers, broadening the brand’s appeal beyond its original rotisserie format and giving foodpanda a menu with both heritage pull and everyday fast-food convenience.

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