Telecom giant Globe said the Philippines has the potential to develop into a key data center hub in the Southeast Asian region as it begins to venture into the data business.
Globe Group President and CEO Ernest Cu cited the geopolitical dynamics in Hong Kong and capacity limitations of Singapore, which could provide an opening for the Philippines as an alternative market for hyperscalers.
"Location-wise, we are in the middle of Southeast Asia, not far from most capitals in the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN). With the added connectivity, with the added data center capacity, we believe that the Philippines will become a great alternative now for the many hyperscalers that have to serve the region," said Cu.
To bolster this potential, Globe has started partnering with ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (Philippines), Ayala Corporation, and Singapore-based ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC).
"We started off by looking for a very capable partner in STT GDC. They share our vision and optimism about the market, and so we're building our data centers that will be located throughout the Philippines,” said Cu.
The data center that is under construction in Fairview, Quezon City has a capacity of 124MW. Upon completion, it will be the “largest, most interconnected, sustainable, and carrier-neutral” campus in the country, according to the CEO. It is expected to be online in the first quarter of 2025.
Cu added that STR GDC Philippines, is planning to expand its data centers in Makati City, Quezon City, and Cavite. Combined they will have a capacity expansion of 5.2MW set for the last quarter of the year.
The company is also constructing two landing stations at the country’s eastern and western coasts to receive submarine cables coming in the country.
Globe said it is committed to transform and provide services to the public in anticipation of a digital future.
“We've got a tremendous number of people, population-wise, that live in these regions, and we have to be served by the hyperscalers. The adoption of cloud is also growing in the region. So we think that there's going to be a huge demand for data centers,” Cu remarked.