Battle for PH's No.1 telco heats up

Ready to go toe-to-toe, tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan said rival Globe Telecom Inc. is still "far behind" PLDT Inc. in the broader telecommunications sector, as the Ayala-led firm’s new leadership charts an ambitious course to become the most profitable telco in the Philippines.

- BY DEXTER BARRO II

Last month, Globe welcomed its new chief executive officer (CEO), Carl Cruz, who outlined its strategic direction toward driving growth in the company’s broadband and enterprise units.

“Our ambition is to be the largest, most profitable, most admired, and highly engaged telecom company in the country,” said Cruz.

Globe, the industry leader in mobile services, aims to achieve this goal within five years, driven by growth across business units long dominated by PLDT.

During PLDT’s first-quarter results press briefing on Thursday, May 15, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pangilinan said Globe is “far behind us” when comparing telco-to-telco numbers.