Unexpected ASEAN 5G leader Philippines can power local businesses with next-generation connectivity

Surprise ASEAN 5G leader Philippines can power local businesses with next-generation connectivity. Source: Shutterstock

5G will be a crucial strategic tool for Philippines businesses

The connected Archipelago – 5G adoption is an “important strategic business direction” for businesses in the Phillippines 

5G has been the most anticipated development in consumer and enterprise telecommunications over the past few years, and with 5G rolling out in select parts of the Philippines, the country has become an unexpected frontrunner for the next-generation connectivity standard in Southeast Asia.

Between commercial 5G services aimed at businesses and those targeting the average consumer, it is safe to say that the high speed, low latency benefits of the connectivity standard will be more enticing for enterprises in the immediate future.

Significantly higher data output and lightning-fast connection speeds will be invaluable in most industrial sectors, with previous studies pointing out that sectors like security, retail, healthcare, mobility, utilities, and even manufacturing and agriculture could potentially be accelerated by 5G.

Manufacturing, agriculture, and other sectors looking to embrace Industry 4.0 technologies like artificial intelligence, IoT, 3D printing, advanced robotics, and wearables will all benefit from 5G. The impact in these industrial spaces is such that many manufacturing sectors, such as mining operations in China, have already begun installing their own private 5G networks ahead of commercial rollouts, to expedite their production operations and enhance their supply chains.

But it won’t just be industrial applications, 5G will likely bolster enterprises in the Philippines that are looking to either kick off or accelerate their business digital transformation journeys. A recent study by Ciena revealed that about a third (31%) of Philippine businesses agree that 5G is anticipated to enable business digital transformation and power more digital applications.

Enterprises in the archipelago have been slower to embrace cloud, data analytics, and other digital tools in the past compared to many of their Southeast Asian peers, but the government has stepped in recently with the announcement of its “Digital Philippines” vision – aiming to empower local businesses and boost the economy by encouraging the adoption of digital solutions.

With top local carriers Globe and PLDT already rolling out 5G in parts of the Philippines, the next-generation tech will be a key enabler to help provide employers with a seamless experience as they embrace cloud-hosted digital tools to perform tasks, regardless of location or time zone.

The Ciena report further noted that the most critical use case for 5G enterprises in the Philippines would be virtual collaboration experiences (41%) given that organizations have realized the benefits of remote work amid months of community quarantines across the country.

“5G is as an important strategic business direction to ensure continued growth and sustainability in an evolving digital economy. 5G must be seen as an enabler instead of a mere connectivity upgrade,” wrote Anup Changaroth, Ciena CTO for Asia Pacific and Japan, in the Manila Times. “Its possibilities are limitless and if leveraged and enabled right, it would unlock a vast range of opportunities from service optimization and user experiences.”