After its chief rival, Smart Communications, announced that it is now conducting trial runs for 4G or Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, mobile operator Globe Telecom reiterated its position that WiMax is the right wireless broadband technology for the country.

Officials of the Ayala-owned carrier said in a recent press briefing that WiMax is the perfect broadband model for an archipelagic nation like the Philippines since it combines the qualities of DSL and wireless technology.

“When Globe was evaluating which wireless broadband technology to deploy, only WiMax made the cut,” said Joy S. Santos, head for landline and Internet services at Globe.

Globe is so far the first and only operator offering WiMax in the Philippines after launching the service in June 2009. The company said WiMax has a wider reach compared to other wireless technologies such as WiFi, CDMA, or even 3G and HSPA (high-speed packet access).

But while it has rolled out WiMax to serve as its “fixed” wireless broadband offering, Globe said it has also picked HSPA as its “nomadic” broadband technology.

Santos said WiMax is targeted at the home and small business owners based in the provinces since Metro Manila is “pretty much wired” already. “We want to bring WiMax in areas where with there are no DSL connections,” she said.

Santos did not reveal Globe’s current WiMax subscriber base but she said during the launch in June that “a few thousand subscribers” had signed up for the service.

The official said Globe has installed 160 WiMax towers in major urban areas outside of Metro Manila. It is the biggest WiMax deployment in the whole of Southeast Asia, the company said.

As WiMax uses “directional” technology, a subscriber needs to put up an antenna to get signals if he or she is located far from a WiMax tower. Santos said, however, that the price of WiMax equipment has gone down much faster than WiFi in the past. For Internet only service, Globe provides speeds of up to 1Mbps at P995 and P795 for 512Kbps. The Internet and landline bundle is at P995 for speeds of up to 512Kbps and P1295 for 1Mbps.