Globe Telecom has conducted a live pilot trial of 5G-Advanced, also referred to as “5.5G”, marking its first deployment of the technology in the Philippines.
The test took place in Bonifacio Global City and was aimed at assessing the peak performance and potential applications of 5G-Advanced for both consumer and enterprise use.
During the trial, Globe recorded a peak download speed of about 2.5 Gbps in a real-world environment. The company said the technology could offer improved speeds, lower latency, increased network capacity, and more reliable connections compared to current 5G networks.
The trial used a 5G Stand-Alone (SA) network equipped with Massive MIMO and carrier aggregation of three 5G/NR component carriers for a total bandwidth of 210 MHz. A 5G-SA capable device was used to test applications such as large file downloads and cloud-based gaming.
5G-Advanced is being developed to support technologies such as extended reality, advanced industrial IoT, autonomous vehicles, and artificial intelligence/machine learning applications.
According to a Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) report from May 2025, six operators worldwide have commercially launched 5G-Advanced services, while 20 others are in various stages of testing and planning. In Southeast Asia, operators in Singapore and Thailand have started offering the service.
