Finally! Filinvest, Globe boost mobile connectivity at Festival Mall, environs

Insider Spotlight

• Filinvest Land has begun improving mobile connectivity at Festival Mall in Alabang after reaching a deal with Globe Telecom
• The first phase is already delivering stronger signals, but Filinvest plans to address remaining dead spots and improve indoor coverage and speeds
• Filinvest wants strong mobile connectivity across its mall portfolio, including upcoming developments in Cubao and Clark
  
  
  

Reliable mobile connectivity is becoming as fundamental to malls as other basic customer amenities, prompting Filinvest to step up telecommunications infrastructure at Festival Mall and the broader Filinvest City estate in Alabang.

In an interview with InsiderPH, Filinvest Land Inc.’s first vice president and retail business unit head Mitch Dumlao said the age of Festival Mall and rapid changes in telecommunications technology complicated previous efforts to improve coverage.

Why it matters

“Signal is now a hygiene item, and we’ve recognized that a long time ago,” he said.

Mitch Dumlao

Filinvest Land's retail business unit head says Festival Mall is just the first of many facilities slated for telco upgrades.

Dumlao said the Gotianun family-controlled property developer eventually found common ground with Globe Telecom on commercial terms after a years-long standoff between both firms over disagreements as to who would shoulder the cost of putting up the facilitiies.

The current rollout represents only the first phase. Initial installations were concentrated around Festival Mall’s perimeter and parking areas, with some improvements reaching the interior, although some dead spots remain.

What’s next

Filinvest Land plans to expand coverage deeper inside the mall and increase connection speeds. Better mobile service has become increasingly important as the company introduces digital services such as parking automation and shoppers rely more heavily on mobile payments.

Festival Mall previously strengthened its free Wi-Fi to address connectivity concerns, but Dumlao said many customers still prefer using their own mobile networks. Stronger cellular coverage can also give customers more flexibility for bandwidth-intensive activities such as streaming.

“The vision because to be highly connected. Connectivity is one big strong point,” Dumlao said. “So we needed to hold on to that value proposition, and that meant not just having signal, but good signal.”

The bigger picture

The connectivity push will extend beyond Festival Mall. Filinvest wants strong mobile signals across the mall portfolio of its real estate business, Filinvest Land, and is coordinating with telecommunications companies to upgrade older installations, including infrastructure dating from before the pandemic.

Dumlao said Festival Mall’s current connectivity marks a big leap forward from customers’ perspectives

“Coming from a very challenging position, it has now significantly improved and people are ecstatic about it,” Dumlao said.

Filinvest expects the connectivity upgrade to be completed by the first quarter of next year, but noted that it already provides a big boost to shoppers and tenants by the holiday shopping season.