Globe to begin USD90m IT upgrade next month, says impact will be marginal

Globe Telecom of the Philippines plans to kick off a USD90 million upgrade to its information technology (IT) systems in March, but says the impact on subscribers will be ‘small’. According to ABS-CBNnews.com, Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu says that the first phase of the upgrade will begin between 2 March and 5, and that once complete, its users will be able to enjoy a better level of services. Last year Globe was beset by problems relating to its network modernisation programme that resulted in a large number of customer complaints, and even prompted rival Smart to launch a cheeky ad campaign to highlight its woes. However, this time the Globe official has moved to allay any concerns over its plans noting: ‘As with most upgrades of this scale, we are spending significant effort to minimise any impact on you, so any impact will be small and temporary. During this period, you will still be able to call, text, and browse. However, there will be times when you may encounter some issues’. As part of its ongoing works, Globe is also looking to move to a new billing system, which is expected to lead to a three-week delay in the generation of bills for post-paid users. The cellco says though, that it will adjust the payment due dates accordingly.