Enterprise

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

Ultra-fast internet coming to homes first

Published

on

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

AGIBOT just topped the medal table at the World Humanoid Robot Games

The robots that did it are already clocking in at real factories.

Published

on

AGIBOT entered its first World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on August 26 and walked away with a dominant victory.

The company claimed 18 gold, 16 silver, and 12 bronze medals, securing 46 total podium finishes and topping both the gold and overall medal standings.

Designed to stress-test humanoid machines in sports, fine manipulation, and real-world duties, the Games evaluated robots across events ranging from martial arts to hotel service and emergency response.

AGIBOT swept through these categories, earning top spots in motion control, obstacle racing, and daily practical tasks.

The true triumph lies in what remained unchanged on competition day. AGIBOT fielded its standard production lineup, including the OmniHand, G2, A3, and X2.

None of these units were custom-built to win medals, as every machine came straight from active commercial deployments.

Precision and agility straight off the assembly line

The OmniHand reached the finals in all eight dexterous manipulation events and brought home seven gold medals.

It aced delicate challenges like Block Building, Powder Weighing, and Bean Picking with Tweezers, proving that fine motor control matters just as much as raw power.

In motion control, the AGIBOT X2 captured gold in the 100m obstacle race while adding silver and bronze in the 400m sprint.

Meanwhile, the AGIBOT A3 secured gold in Tai Chi. The X2 competed in its standard commercial configuration without any hardware modifications.

Powering the X2 is AGIBOT’s proprietary AGILE framework, short for AgiBot Generative Intelligent Locomotion Engine.

This system blends real-time environmental perception with autonomous decision-making to navigate sudden obstacles and changing terrain.

By combining precise parameter identification with seamless simulation-to-reality transfer, the framework maintains rock-solid stability when transitioning from code to physical ground.

Proven intelligence on actual factory floors

AGIBOT earned five golds in real-world scenarios, dominating tasks across library operations, hotel services, and emergency response.

The G2 robot behind these wins is the exact same model currently operating on factory floors for manufacturers like Longcheer and SAIC.

Its operational intelligence stems from AGIBOT’s ViLLA embodied foundation model GO, the world model GE, and its RW-RL system. These combined technologies sharpen perception and planning inside unpredictable work environments.

While the 46-medal tally commands headlines, the deeper story is that mass-produced robots won without special modifications.

AGIBOT proves that general-purpose intelligence paired with commercial hardware can adapt across varied scenarios. Embodied AI is finally stepping out of isolated lab demos and into consistent, repeatable work where it matters most.

Continue Reading

Enterprise

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

Rollout expected to begin in 2027

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Enterprise

Google ordered to pay EUR 4.1 billion in fines

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

Published

on

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

Continue Reading

Trending