Globe is calling for telecommunications restoration to be made a national priority alongside power and other essential utilities during disasters, through a proposed National Utility Resiliency Plan that would address barriers that delay the return of critical services. The framework would set clear protocols for government agencies, local government units, utilities, and telecommunications operators to work together and help communities regain essential services faster.
Globe raised the proposal during the GSMA Policy Principles for Mobile Network Resilience discussion recently held in New Delhi, India. The company urged GSMA to advocate comprehensive utility resiliency plans among governments as severe weather and natural disasters put increasing pressure on critical infrastructure.
“When disaster strikes, connectivity becomes a lifeline. People need it to reach their families, receive emergency information, call for help, and coordinate relief efforts,” said Atty. Froilan Castelo, Globe General Counsel. “Restoring telecommunications should therefore happen alongside power and other essential utilities, supported by a national framework that allows government and industry to move quickly and work together.”
Under the proposed plan, telecommunications restoration teams could be given priority access to government transportation and logistics resources when roads and other infrastructure are damaged or inaccessible. Military and police personnel could provide appropriate support in reaching critical facilities, while local permitting requirements for emergency repairs could be temporarily streamlined to prevent delays.
Telecommunications networks depend on other critical infrastructure to operate, including commercial power, fuel, transportation, and secure physical access to network facilities. This means restoration can be delayed even when operators have teams, generators, and equipment ready for deployment.
“We can build stronger networks, prepare our teams, and position resources ahead of severe weather, but there are dependencies that no telecommunications operator can address alone,” Castelo said. “If power is unavailable, roads are impassable, or our teams cannot reach affected facilities, restoration becomes more difficult. A national plan can help remove these bottlenecks when every hour of connectivity matters.”
Globe continues to invest in strengthening network resilience through backup power, network redundancy, disaster preparedness, and the prepositioning of personnel and equipment in high-risk areas. In the first half of 2026, Globe invested ₱26.3 billion in capital expenditures, with about 91% directed toward data-related requirements to strengthen and expand its network.
The company is also using Starlink satellite-to-mobile technology as an additional layer of connectivity when terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable or damaged. During the June 2026 Mindanao earthquake, Globe deployed the technology for the first time in a disaster response, helping provide coverage for affected communities in General Santos and Sarangani.
Globe said a national resiliency framework should also consider appropriate incentives for additional investments required to make critical telecommunications infrastructure more resilient. Stronger structural standards, additional backup systems, and greater network redundancy carry significant costs, making a supportive policy environment important to sustaining resilience investments while operators continue expanding and improving their networks.
“Network resilience cannot be the responsibility of telecommunications operators alone,” Castelo said. “When power, transportation, telecommunications, and other essential services recover together, communities recover faster. Resilience has to be planned as a national system, not utility by utility.”
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