Enterprise

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

Ultra-fast internet coming to homes first

Published

June 21, 2019

Daniel Morial

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.

Related Topics:Globe Globe Air Fiber 5G Globe At Home

Enterprise

realme is reportedly going back to being an OPPO sub-brand

All scheduled phones will still launch on time, though.

Published

January 9, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

A popular story among Chinese smartphone brands is whenever a sub-brand spinning off into its own independent entity. A less common one is when an independent entity suddenly merges back into the main entity. And yet, that’s the story we have today. realme is reportedly going back to being a sub-brand of OPPO.

If you don’t remember realme’s time as a sub-brand, then it’s hardly your fault. It’s been a long while since realme was considered a sub-brand. In 2018, the brand spun off on its own to form one of the most popular names in the Chinese smartphone space.

Today, via Leiphone, realme will return to OPPO as a sub-brand. Current realme CEO Sky Li will still retain his responsibilities heading the brand. Plus, all products on the current release schedule will still come out as planned.

However, starting this year, realme will start reintegrating back into OPPO, particularly through the latter’s after-sales programs. OnePlus will also follow the same structure going forward.

Currently, realme has not officially announced the move. That said, we also don’t know how the brand will address the reported change. It’s possible that the shift is just internal and has no effect on how the brand faces the public. For now, only time will tell.

Enterprise

Samsung warns that tech prices might increase this year

And it’s all because of AI.

Published

January 8, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The big story late last year was the skyrocketing prices of chips. Analysts are predicting that the demand for RAM will cause the entire industry to experience hikes this year. Some users, especially in the PC building scene, are already feeling the burn. PCs won’t be the only victims, though. Xiaomi is already expecting hikes across the board. Now, Samsung is adding its voice to the growing list of warnings about price increases.

During CES 2026, Wonjiun Lee, Samsung’s global marketing chief, confirmed that the memory shortages are, in fact, real (via Bloomberg). Moreover, the company is now evaluating whether more price hikes are needed this year for its products. Though Lee expressed regret over pushing the prices to consumers, the state of the industry might force the company’s hand.

Samsung’s opinion has a lot of weight. While other brands have also voiced out their opinions lately, Samsung itself is a producer of chips. If a chip supplier is already warning users of prices affecting them, the effect will likely cascade even more when it comes to device manufacturers.

The ongoing shortage of chips is a result of the overwhelming demand from companies looking to build and bolster AI-based servers. The business-to-business demand is notably different from how regular consumers, who will soon find it hard to buy their own devices, see it.

At the very least, Samsung has not confirmed any price increases yet. However, all eyes are on the next Galaxy Unpacked, when Samsung will launch its newest Galaxy products. Will prices increase or stay the same?

Enterprise

TikTok finally gets a buyer in the United States

The deal targets a closing date in late January.

Published

December 19, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

The year started with a ban. A day before Donald Trump started his second term, TikTok went dark, in anticipation of an impending ban. The platform quickly went back online, leading to an ultimatum that saw TikTok hunt for an American buyer to full stave off a definitive ban in the United States. Now, as the year ends, a buyer is finally here.

Via CNBC, TikTok has reportedly inked a deal to finalize a deal in the United States, as stated in an internal memo from CEO Shou Zi Chew. The memo, which was sent just this week, details a plan that will see the deal close by January 26, 2026.

Fifty percent of TikTok’s newly restructured U.S. arm will be held by a collection of American investors including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. Meanwhile, already existing investors of TikTok will hold 30.1 percent. Finally, ByteDance will retain 19.9 percent.

Additionally, TikTok’s algorithm in the United States will be retrained with American data. The American arm will also handle the country’s “data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance.” Oracle will be the “trusted security partner” in charge of making sure the company keeps within regulations in the country.

With a deal pushing through, the long-running TikTok saga in the United States might finally come to a close.