The Pilipinas Shell Corp. has teamed up with Globe Telecom to establish cell sites in its retail network.
Shell has inked a partnership agreement with the telecommunications network to install new cell sites in some of its retail stations. Gas stations with cell sites will become Go WiFi hotspots.
“This is part of Globe’s endeavor to widen the number of cell sites and reach it has. It’s a process towards densification of sites in urban areas. We’ve been working very closely with Shell group to try to get this to fruition,” Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said.
Globe is set to invest $15 million per cell site under the partnership.
The two companies already identified the 14 target sites, most of which are located along major routes and major areas of convergence across the country.
“Not everyone will fit the search ring Globe has but I’m sure majority of them (the stations), given how…Shell selects its sites, it’s going to be in very strategic areas — street corners, well-traversed roads,” Cu said.
“We will see how the first 14 goes and then build on the learnings we will acquire, then we will progressively deploy this in more sites,” Shell president and CEO Cesar Romero said.
Under the partnership, Petron can become the first petrol station to offer GCash, Globe’s mobile money service provider. Through this payment method, customers can pay for Shell fuel and items inside Select and Deli Café via mobile wallet.
Romero said that Shell is in the process of renewing the policy in gas stations that require motorists to switch their phones off.
“That policy is under review. we have some pilot stations in Europe that are doing that, and probably this is one of those things that hopefully our partners, Globe, will benefit from working with a company like us. We’re quite progressive in the thinking in how to implement this,” he said.
Shell added that it is continuously collaborating with the government and the private sector, along with the youth in promoting smarter mobility and energy efficiency while providing innovative fuel and lubricant technology.
