Globe Telecom Inc. is putting data centers at the core of its infrastructure strategy, positioning its investment in ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC Philippines) to capture a domestic market that analysts expect to more than triple within six years.
Research and Markets valued the Philippine data center market at $633 million in 2024 and projects it will reach $1.97 billion by 2030, an increase of about 211 percent over the period, or a compound annual growth rate of more than 20 percent.
The forecast tracks a population that ranks among the world’s most digitally engaged, with roughly 97.5 million internet users driving demand for cloud services, streaming, gaming, enterprise applications and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.
For Globe, the investment sits alongside its submarine cable builds as part of the same capital program: physical infrastructure the company argues is now as fundamental to commerce as roads or power plants.
‘Digital infrastructure works hand in hand with today’s advanced technologies,’ Globe President Carl Cruz said. ‘It enables businesses to operate, governments to deliver services, and people to stay connected. As demand continues to grow, it’s equally important that we build this infrastructure responsibly so it creates lasting value for businesses, communities, and the country.’
Enterprise customers are increasingly buying on reliability metrics rather than raw capacity, according to STT GDC Philippines President and CEO Carlo Malana, pushing operators to invest in redundant power systems, physical and network security, and business continuity provisions on top of compute.
‘Customers today expect more than capacity,’ Malana said. ‘They want infrastructure that is reliable, energy efficient, resilient, and designed to support their long-term growth. Those considerations influence every decision we make, from how we design our facilities, to how we operate them every day.’
At its Fairview campus, STT GDC Philippines has deployed a closed-loop cooling system that recycles water on site, cutting the facility’s draw on municipal supply while supporting denser computing loads. The company also used recycled steel and other lower-carbon materials in construction where specifications allowed.
The operator said its expanding footprint has generated high-value engineering and technical jobs and supported local economic activity, with community programs covering education, livelihood training and shared public spaces.
Cruz said Globe expects data centers to take on a larger role as cloud adoption and AI deployment accelerate.
‘We make sure that we create infrastructure that is resilient, responsible, and ready to support the Philippines for many years to come,’ he said.
Globe’s net income after tax fell 11 percent to P11 billion in January to June from P12.4 billion a year earlier, the listed telecommunications firm said in its recent disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange.
The company attributed the decline mainly to a smaller net gain from the dilution of its stake in Mynt Inc., the parent company of the group behind mobile wallet GCash, compared with the prior year, as well as higher non-operating charges.
Core net income, which strips out foreign exchange movements and mark-to-market adjustments, stood at P10.2 billion, down 2 percent year-on-year-a far narrower decline that the company said reflects the underlying health of its operations.