Money for the masses (http://www.americasnetwork.com/americasnetwork/Top+Stories/The-next-big-thing/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/478035?contextCategoryId=39793)

Beyond commerce, mobile is also empowering consumers in under-banked regions across Asia and Africa and users without bank accounts to make payments, transactions and remittances.

In the Philippines, Smart Communications and Globe Telecom are driving a seismic shift in mobile banking based on the exchange of simple text messages.

Around 5.5 million Filipinos now use their mobile phones as virtual wallets, making the country a leader among developing nations in mobile transactions.

Subscribers have to register their mobile phone, which is then linked to a cash or debit card. The card, which costs 200 pesos, does not require a bank account, but can be used to purchase goods in establishments that accept MasterCard or to withdraw cash from an ATM cash machine.

Each time a user makes a transaction, a message is sent via SMS that allows real-time tracking of how funds are used.

Smart Communications in February launched Smart Remit, a low-cost remittance service using the mobile phone as a financial service platform. It enables Filipinos in the Middle East and Europe to send remittances home. The pilot project is undertaken in partnership with MasterCard, Bahrain's MTC Vodafone, United Arab Emirates' Etisalat and leading regional banks, and is part of the GSM Association's Global Money Transfer Project.

In India, Bharti Airtel has joined with the GSM Association to launch a pilot program that will eventually enable more than 25 million Indians abroad to remit money to India through their mobile phones.

The intent is to give individuals access to a full range of financial services, even if their position in the country's socio-economic system means they don't have bank accounts.

The ubiquity and ease of mobile communications will "revolutionize the money transfer industry with its advantages, such as reach, ease of use and lower transaction costs, and provide immense benefits," according to Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and managing director, Bharti Enterprises.

The GSM Association continues to facilitate the development of cross-border mobile money transfer services.

It has joined with Western Union to develop a commercial and technical framework that mobile operators can use to deploy services that enable consumers to send and receive low-denomination, high-frequency money transfers using their mobile phones. The first commercial services that make use of the framework are anticipated to be rolled out by the second quarter of 2008.

"Mobile networks now cover more than 80% of the world's population and three billion people have a mobile phone, creating an unprecedented opportunity to extend the benefits of financial services to the majority of the world's families for the first time," notes Rob Conway, CEO of the GSMA. "Mobile money transfers are a key driver in the development of a potentially vast market for financial services delivered via the mobile phone."

The Western Union mobile service will connect operators to Western Union's existing global money transfer system, which processed approximately 17% of the world's remittance volume in 2006.

Once connected to the Western Union service, operators can use their own "mobile wallet" software to enable person-to-person mobile money transfers over Western Union's cross-border remittance network.

economic development of India and many other developing countries," Bharti's Mittal notes. "This initiative will bring down the cost of lower-value and high-frequency mobile remittances considerably and also enable smaller amounts to be transferred in a fast and secure fashion, thereby benefiting millions of people in the developing world."

OMG! Txt msgs r 15 yrs old! (http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=16cd210f-a56c-49ca-8682-635de727e179&k=45651)

It's only 15-years-old, but it has toppled a president, caused countless breakups and written a new version of the Bible.

Since the first mobile text message was sent 15 years ago this month, it has fomented a cultural revolution in how people communicate.

Today's text messages, also know as SMS (short messaging service), are far more nuanced than the "Merry Christmas" sent by Briton Neil Papworth on Dec. 2, 1992, from a computer to a Vodafone handset. Today, they are used to buy concert tickets, request last-minute groceries and, at least in Malaysia, initiate a legal divorce.

"It's easy, cheap and fun - and it's not very intrusive, either," said Mark Choma, spokesperson for the Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association on the popularity of text messaging. And at a cost of about 10 cents a message (or less with special plans), it's more affordable than phone calls for brief exchanges.

But while text messaging has been popular in Europe and Asia for almost 10 years, it took off in North America only in the last five.

When it first became available, users could send messages only to people in the same cellular network.

It was only after Canadian telephone companies agreed to allow cross-carrier and cross-border messaging in 2002 that texting really took off. In March 2002, 10 million messages were sent.

This past September, Canadians texted one another 947 million times, according to the Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association.

That's 31.5 million messages a day. And that's only person-to-person messages. It doesn't include text alerts such as news updates and agenda reminders to cellphones. It also excludes texts to short codes, those five- or six-digit phone numbers used by contests and TV polls.

These are, nonetheless, low figures when compared with those in Europe. Texting there has taken on a life of its own because it is cheaper than making phone calls.

"Every call you make is charged; it's better to text than to speak if you're charged by the minute," said Amit Kaminer, a telecom analyst at the Seaboard Group. But North America is quickly catching up as more carriers offer unlimited text-messaging plans.

Sending a missive in 160 characters or less with a numerical keypad has obvious shortcomings.

Often, the same key must be pressed three times to pick one letter. This economy of effort has spawned a new variant of English, a kind of pidgin of numbers and letters called "leet" - from the word elite, which is how proficient computer hackers and gamers describe themselves. So something like, "Oh my God, I have great news for you," is expressed in leet as "omg i got gr8 news 4 u."

These frugal compositions may send parents and English teachers into seizures, but the form is being recognized more and more as a valid abbreviation of language.

In Australia, an SMS version of the Bible was written to bring the scriptures to young people. "In da Bginnin God cre8d da heavens & da earth," it begins.

Being quick and mobile - and difficult to intercept - SMS has been used for grassroots political movements. Protesters in the Philippines brought down President Joseph Estrada in 2001 by organizing flash demonstrations via SMS.

According to Howard Rheingold, author of Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution, young tech-savvy South Koreans organized a last-minute get-out-and-vote campaign on the day of the 2002 presidential elections. They reached 800,000 people, who, Rheingold said, helped underdog candidate Roh Moo-hyun win by a tiny margin.

However, SMS has been blamed for societal ills, too, notably a deterioration in face-to-face communication.

An Australian study found couples text each other more at the beginning of a relationship and during rough patches.

"People used text messages to show their negative feelings rather than talking face to face," researcher Natalie Robinson of Macquarie University told the Sydney Morning Herald. "This might be because text messages were less confrontational and more distant."

On the Internet, there's no shortage of advice columns and forums for romantics at the receiving end of a Dear John text message.

Whatever the societal impacts of texting, it is sure to be around for a long time.

"Seeing how much it's growing, we don't see it going away any time soon," Choma said.

But new technologies have begun to unseat the popularity of SMS. Chief among them is MMS, which permits images, video and rich-text formatting to be included in messages. However, these are more expensive to send and few handsets support the technology.

Once consumers demand better, cheaper alternatives to SMS, the shift to newer messaging technologies will be inevitable, Kaminer said. He believes mobile instant messaging, which, like its desktop version, allows users to see if the receiving party is online, will eventually replace SMS messaging.

And then delays in getting back to people will be as quaint as rotary telephones.

Bayan to roll out cellphones next year (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/dec/10/yehey/business/20071210bus12.html)


AFTER establishing a niche for its wireless landline service, Bayan Telecommunications Inc. said it is set to commercially rollout its cellular mobile telephone service (CMTS) within the first half of next year.

“We are prepared to launch it [CMTS] by first half of next year. It could be offered on top of our CDMA-based wireless landline using GSM signal,” Tunde Fafunwa, Bayan’s chief executive consultant told reporters.

“Cellular will just be an addition to that. Our main focus is still the Bayan Wireless Landline,” he said.

The Bayan executive said the new mobile phone service can get both CDMA and GSM. “There are also dual SIM [subscriber identification module] phones,” he added.

Bayan’s license to provide CMTS was first granted on May 3, 2000, and was later extended for 18 months or until November 2002. In April this year, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) granted Bayan a second extension, up to November 3, 2010.

With this, the company is required to start its CMTS offering within a year from the date of its acceptance of its extended authority.

Bayan is also required within a period of seven years to cover at least 80 percent of all provincial cities in the country including all chartered cities.

Fafunwa earlier said that Bayan will spend less than $100 million next year to partly finance the operation of its mobile phone business as it already has in possession most of the needed equipment and infrastructure to jumpstart its operation. “What we are using for our wireless local loop will also be utilized for our cellular operation. So, we won’t be shelling out [a] huge investment. We will just have to ride on our existing network because we already have in place most of the requirements,” he said.

Bayan said in its application filed with NTC that its CMTS network is based on GSM technology, which will be integrated with the company’s existing network.
--Darwin G. Amojelar

Cellphone penetration to reach 60%
(http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20071212111338.html)

The number of cellular mobile telephone subscribers in the Philippines is estimated to exceed 53 million by the end of this year, with penetration rate of 60 percent, a study by CD Castro Consultancy, Inc. (CDCCI), an independent Philippine-based consulting firm focused on telecommunications, showed.


Compared to the 2006 figures for total users CDCCI estimates that by year end, the segment will have a 27.98 percent annual growth rate.

While the Philippine cellular mobile business may now very close to the long expected "saturation point" in terms of the number of subscriptions its growth will still be positive, according to CDCCI report.

The survey report also says there will be at the end of the year 2007 a total of 11, 782,874 additional cellphone subscribers in the Philippines, or an annual growth of 27.98 percent.

The CDCCI Report, however, claims that with the advent of new technologies, of new standards and of new innovations in services, new uses and applications of mobile phones will emerge. New as well as improved ways of using the mobile phone will enable the market to sustain growth even beyond penetration rates of 100.0 percent and higher.

By the end of 1991, the year when the cellular mobile telephone business was first launched, there were only about 33,800 users and the penetration rate was calculated at only 0.05 percent. Cellular mobile telephone service in the Philippines started booming in the late nineties when radio pagers were still the status symbols of that era.

After 5 years (1992 to 1997) of large additions in the number of cellular mobile phone subscribers. The one million users mark was finally breached in 1997.

It was only in 1998 when a slowdown was reported. The annual growth rate during that year was only low compared to the growth rate of 156.48 per cent in 1995.

By the end of 1999, there were already 2,778,958 subscribers but by the end of 2000, the total number of cellular mobile phone users increased by a real impressive number of 3,675,862 mobile subscribers.

In the year that followed (2001), another high double digit figure that was very close to 72.0 per cent was registered. This was followed by 3 successive years with not too impressive but still double-digit annual growth rates (36.93 percent in 2002, 48.47 percent in 2003, and 45.93 percent in 2004).

At the end of the year 2004, the Philippines had a total of about 33.0 million subscribers but this indicator boomed fast to 34,682,570 by end of 2005.

The annual growth rate from 2004 to 2005 was, however, only 5.30 per cent; a figure that compared poorly with what the nation experienced in the earlier years starting in 1999. This was after 10 years of continued doubledigit (in fact, it had one quadruple and 2 triple-digit growth rates and these were in 1991, 1995-2000) performances on the part of privately owned telecommunications carriers in the Philippines.

It is in 2006 when speculations that Philippine is either about to reach the so-called "situation point" or has, in fact, already breached it.

Cellular mobile telephone service is, on the other hand, one of the segments of the public services sector. This segment is, however, the one that has been driving the growth and progress of the whole sector as well as of the industry itself during the past years. It is, in fact, one of the most valuable drivers of economic progress and social development in the Philippines. The segment is also expected to continue to be vibrant and to significantly contribute to the improvement of the economy in the coming years leading to 2010 and beyond.

PLDT taps British telco for advice on upgrade (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/dec/12/yehey/business/20071212bus11.html)


PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said it has tapped a European telecom company to help in the local telco’s migration to the next generation network (NGN).

“We have actually engaged with the advisory group of British Telecom to help us plan for the transition to NGN. They are here for about two months already advising us on their own experience in terms of their migration from legacy to NGN,” Manuel V. Pangilinan, PLDT chairman, told reporters.

NGN is the latest technology for voice and multimedia communica*tions based on open architecture design made possible through Internet protocol (IP) technology.

“Once the study of this telecom [is] concluded maybe by end of year, then we have a better idea on how long it will take,” Pangilinan said, adding the European telco took three years to com*plete its shift from the legacy system.

British Telecommunications Plc is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BT Group. Its principal activities include networked IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and higher-value broadband and Internet pro-ducts and services.

PLDT had announced that it will spend about P7.7 billion to finance its NGN and broadband expansion.

For this year, the country’s largest telco will install 600,000 to 700,000 NGN lines nationwide from an initial rollout of 150,000 in 2005.

“Our ability to stay ahead in the broadband revolution is particularly important for the fixed line business as it enables us to manage the transi*tion from traditional voice services to other revenue streams that can deliver growth for the future,” Napoleon Nazareno, PLDT president, said.

Pangilinan said the company expects NGN to contribute more to revenues by 2009.

PLDT, which is partly owned by Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd. and Japan’s NTT group, said net income reached P9.51 billion in the third quarter, down by 9 percent compared with the P10.44 billion in the same period last year.

For the nine-month period ending September, PLDT’s profit grew by 3 percent to P26.5 billion owing to lower additional deprecia*tion charges offset by an increase in provision for taxes of P10 billion.
--Darwin G. Amojelar

PLDT in tie up with firms to ensure quick response to cable failure
(GMANews.TV, 12/19/07)


Telecom giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and 13 other members of the Pacific Partners, an alliance of major carriers in the Asia-Pacific region, have teamed up to ensure quick restoration of services in their networks during major cable system failures.

PLDT signed a memorandum of understanding with these other carriers: AT&T of the US, China Telecom, CAT Telecom of Thailand, Chunghwa Telecom of Taiwan, KDDI of Japan, Korea Telecom, INDOSAT of Indonesia, REACH of Hong Kong and Australia, Singapore Telecom, Telecom New Zealand, Telekom Malaysia, VNPT of Vietnam and VSNL International of India and Canada.

Under the agreement, Pacific Partners will develop Disaster Recovery Principles and Mechanism to ensure each party's quick return to business-as-usual operation after failures.

A committee chaired by PLDT carrier marketing management head Genaro C. Sanchez was created in early 2007 to undertake this task. Its work is expected to be completed by year-end and the DRP/M is expected to be ready for implementation by early 2008.

Top officials of the Pacific Partners met in early 2007 to discuss the impact of the Taiwan earthquake and measures to avert a similar crisis. They agreed to pursue a strategic cooperation initiative that would pool all available resources at their disposal to deal with multiple cable failures that may occur in the future.

The December 2006 Taiwan earthquake damaged nine international submarine cable systems, existing restoration plans proved insufficient, causing major difficulties in the Asia-Pacific region.

PLDT's initial NGN service rollout is really awful. i hope british telecom's entry will improve the quality of their NGN lines.

^^^^

Much better is to allow foreign telcos to compete against our spoiled local telcos who we've been pampering since infancy. Now that these spoiled local telcos are pensioners with greying pubes, it is high time that we open them to competition to ensure that the ordinary Juan De la Cruz gets world class service at a world class price.

I wonder if our carriers would allow Skypephone

http://www.threeskypephone.com.au/

PLDT, NTT DoCoMo plan mobile service for seamen (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/dec/28/yehey/business/20071228bus7.html)


PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. is in talks with Japanese leading telecom firm NTT DoCoMo, Inc. about its plan to offer mobile phone service to Filipino seamen working in Japan.

Manuel V. Pangilinan, PLDT chairman, said he and NTT DoCoMo officials are discussing a possible partnership for a number of telecom services that can be offered to Filipino seafarers in Japan.

Pangilinan said NTT DoCoMo has shown interest in the service being offered by Blue Ocean Wireless (BOW) and Inmarsat.

Blue Ocean Wireless provides the world’s first global system for mobile communication (GSM) network on the seas through Altobridge, a patented GSM platform that supports full voice and text services.

Smart Communications, Inc., through Smart-Connect Holdings PTE Ltd., has 30-percent equity in BOW worth $15.9 million. Smart is a subsidiary of PLDT.

Smart sees BOW as an important complementary service to its prepaid wireless satellite phone service, SMARTLink.

“If they [NTT DoCoMo] can help us in Japan to install base stations on the Japanese vessels, they can introduce us to the various shipping companies Many Filipino seamen are working in Japan,” Pangilinan said.

The PLDT chariman said there are about 2,000 to 2,500 staff per vessel, most of them Filipinos. Globally, there are about 1.1 million seafarers, of whom 500,000 are Filipinos.

Earlier, Smart also partnered with Inmarsat, a global mobile satellite communications provider, in seting up a multi-million dollar gateway facility for its satellite phone service.

The joint venture with Inmarsat involves a $5-million investment by Smart to establish a gateway facility and ground infrastructure in Subic, Zambales. The facilities will expand its Smart Link prepaid wireless satellite phone service coverage area initially in India, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean.
-- Darwin G. Amojelar

PLDT completes fiber optic backbone in Subic freeport
(Manila Bulletin, 12/28/07, Joel D. Pinaroc)


Dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) has completed a P210-million (US$ 5 million) fiber optic connection project expected to benefit foreign locators at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.


In a statement released Wednesday, PLDT said the Subic fiber optic leg is part of the carrier’s plan to expand nationwide its domestic fiber optic network (DFON), spanning 286 kilometers across key cities outside Metro Manila.

PLDT unit Subic Telecommunications Company (SubicTel), will maintain and manage the network, the company said.

According to PLDT, this DFON expansion has also allowed SubicTel to upgrade and enhance its DSL network in the Freeport Zone, thus providing more reliable high-speed broadband services.

SubicTel general manager Henry Abes, in a statement, said "this is a welcome development for the locators in the area especially because of their critical communications needs."

"We committed to complete the project by December. We will now be able to address the needs of existing and potential customers much more quickly," he said.

The first leg of the new fiber optic connection was completed when the operations center of South Korean shipbuilding firm Hanjin, which is investing $ 1.7 billion for its shipyard, was connected from Redondo Peninsula in Subic to SubicTel in the Freeport Zone in late July.

The Hanjin fiber optic link spans about 25 kilometers, passing through Subic town and Olongapo City in Zambales province.

Hanjin is now directly connected to its headquarters in South Korea by way of PLDT’s international link.

PLDT further said the activation of the project is expected to address data connectivity and capacity issues for potential foreign locators.

The carrier claims that the DFON is the country’s most extensive and robust fiber optic network that has been a key enabler of PLDT’s cutting-edge services for retail and corporate customers.

The fiber backhaul connectivity has multi-loops to provide the redundancy in case of fiber breaks. IP Radio facilities for additional redundancy have also been installed.

Earlier this year, SubicTel connected another 45-Mbps bandwidth pipe from PLDT, doubling last year’s bandwidth capacity.

With the installation of the fiber optic network, this will further increase bandwidth capacity to 2.5Gbps to meet increasing demands of customers.

Monday, December 31, 2007


Globe to spend millions of $ on new cable landing station (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/dec/31/yehey/business/20071231bus3.html)

By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter

GLOBE Telecom Inc. plans to spend millions of dollars to construct an international cable landing station in Cagayan to serve the increasing demand for mobile phone and Internet broadband services.

The Philippines’ second-largest mobile-phone operator said it is seeking regulatory approval for a license to construct the submarine cable stations.

Froilan Castelo, Globe head of regulatory affairs, said the company will invest $40 million for the expansion and upgrade of its international cable landing station.

Castelo said the project is aimed at addressing the growing demand for mobile phones, leased line, Internet and other telecommunication services.

The Globe official said the cable landing station will allow the company to establish voice connectivity for its international gateway facility.

He said the cable station would also enable the Globe Inter-Exchange carrier services.

Gil Genio, chief executive officer of Globe unit Innove Communications Inc., said the construction of the cable landing station in Cagayan has started and it is expected to be completed by October next year.

Earlier, Globe invested about $90 million for the construction of a submarine cable system in Nasugbu, Batangas, which will be connected to Asia and the US. The amount includes the cost of capacity within Asia and the US, a new landing station, and domestic backhaul.

Chinese top Filipinos in text messages sent (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news3_jan2_2008)

China, home to more than 600 million mobile phone users, has replaced the Philippines as the world’s top sender of text messages, a US-based company has said.

“A typical day in China sees 1.6 billion texts sent, outdoing the previous leader the Philippines,” said Airwide Solutions, an international provider of next-generation mobile messaging and mobile Internet infrastructure.

China reported it had more than 600 million mobile phone users as of June 2007—higher than the combined number of subscribers in the 10 countries of Southeast Asia.

India, the world’s second-largest nation, had over 150 million subscribers.

In 2006, the 40 million mobile phone subscribers in the Philippines were estimated to have sent an average of 10 text messages each, or a total of 400 million text messages daily.

Industry players estimate that the mobile subscriber base in the Philippines probably hit 50 million by December 2007, which may put the average SMS sent daily at 500 million.

With the number of text messages sent in the Philippines doubling or tripling during holidays in the past, Filipinos probably sent more than a billion text messages on Dec. 31, 2007, and on Jan. 1, 2008.

“New Year is usually the biggest peak in messaging every year and this year will be no exception,” said Jay Seaton of Airwide Solutions.

The company sent the first-ever SMS message 15 years ago, and it predicts that text messaging will continue its consistent growth and reach a new peak in 2008.

“Back then no one anticipated it to become so prolific,” the company said.

“Mobile messaging, led by SMS, still continues to grow and is now complimented by multimedia mobile messaging, mobile marketing, location-based services, and now mobile instant messaging.”

Airwide Solutions says the United States will lead the western world with nearly 730 million messages expected to be sent on the New Year, followed by the United Kingdom with 280 million messages or equivalent to 4.6 texts per capita.

“Yet it is Asia that should witness the largest volumes,” Airwide Solutions said.

“Despite the main celebration in China being during Chinese New Year later in the year, Airwide still expects SMS volumes for the 31st December to 1st January celebrations to beat the rest of the world.”

The Swiss were expected to be the most prolific at texting their friends and families as the clock struck midnight, sending nearly seven times as many messages at New Year than on an average day, with over 75 million SMS predicted to be sent.

The Swiss are closely followed by the Greeks, who send just under five times as many messages as on a typical day.

The other top senders in Europe are Norway, the Czech Republic, Belgium and France.

Smart, Sun subscribers grow in 2007 (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/jan/03/yehey/business/20080103bus7.html)

By Darwin G. Amojelar Reporter

TWO leading mobile phone service providers on Wednesday reported net additions to their respective subscriber bases last year, boosted by cheaper call and short messaging system (SMS) rates.

Ma. Lourdes C. Rausa-Chan, Philippine Long Distance Tele-phone Co. (PLDT) corporate secretary, told the Philippine Stock Exchange that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Smart Communications Inc. has more than 30 million subscribers using its Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network at end-December.

In addition, Smart also has more than 1 million active Smart Money account holders and nearly 300,000 subscribers using Smart Bro, the wireless broadband service of its unit, Smart Broadband, Inc.

Last November, the company announced that it raised its capital expenditure to P10 billion in 2007 to finance network coverage expansion.

Separately, William Pamintuan, Digital Mobile Philippines Inc. senior vice-president for legal and inter-carrier services, reported to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that Sun Cellular’s subscribers reached more than 5.5 million as of December, higher by 2 million in 2006.

Pamintuan attributed the increase to the expansion of its network coverage and continued offering of cheap call and text plans.

Digitel has expanded its coverage to 87.78 percent last year, and expects to increase it to 91.14 percent by middle of this year.

Digitel is also seeking an approval from NTC to extend its nationwide cellular mobile telephone service license, which will lapse on February 7.

As of December, Digitel has covered 108 out of the country’s 119 cities or 90.76 percent and 62 out of the country’s 81 provinces or 76.54 percent for an average coverage of 83.65 percent or higher than the minimum required coverage the NTC set.

The NTC has required the company to cover at least 80 percent of all provincial capitals in the Philippines including chartered cities and to submit an amended roll out plan forecast for the next three years to approve a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN).

The Gokongwei-owned telecom company assured that once the license was approved it will continue to offer affordable call and text plans for its subscribers.

Digitel also assured the NTC to continue its commitment to offering convenient and affordable plans that will reflect the regulator’s policy to ensure that consumers are not deprived of wider choices and to encourage competitive and innovative offerings.

^^Wow, mahilig din kaya mag-GM ang mga Intsik?

Mobile fone service to continue driving RP socio-economic growth, says study
(Manila Bulletin, 12/31/2007, Edison Ong)

"Cellular mobile telephone service, one of the segments of the public services sector, has been driving the growth and progress of the whole sector as well as of the industry itself during the past years.


It is, in fact, one of the most valuable drivers of economic progress and social development in the Philippines.

The segment is expected to continue to be vibrant and to significantly contribute to the improvement of the economy in the coming years leading to 2010 and beyond."

Thus concluded the research, analysis and data resources group of CD Castro Consultancy, Inc. (CDCCI), an independent Philippine-based consulting firm focused on telecommunications.

The group estimates that by the end of 2007, the number of cellular mobile telephone subscribers in the Philippines will have hit and even gone beyond the 53 million mark "with a record-breaking number of new cellphone subscriptions on a net of churn basis that comes very close to 12 million and a penetration rate that finally breaches the 60 percent level."

It is estimated that by the end of 2007 the year-to-year growth rate of the whole segment will be about 28 percent.

"As a result of the convergence of telecommunications and information technology (IT) and the recent emergence of what has become known as Information and Communications Technologies or ICT, the telecommunications industry now has what should be referred to as a public information and communications services sector which is just one of the many sectors of the industry," the study said.

The CDCCI Report explains that relative level of development of the cellular mobile phone business in an economy is measured and reported in terms of a number of indicators that are adopted by most nations and economies in the world. The Philippines appears to have done relatively well during 2007 according to these indicators.

Based on the official (per National Statistics Coordination Board) population data the number of inhabitants of the Philippines in 2007 was about 88,706,300, the penetration rate by end of 2007 is estimated to be 60.76 percent by the CDCCI research, analysis and data base resource group in its 2007 Report.

The complete CDCCI Report will be summarized in a report that is entitled "The State of Cellular Mobile Telephone Service in the Philippines 2007." This paper will be part of CD Castro Consultancy, Inc.’s annual study and report on the Philippine Telecommunications Industry with a focus on the public services sector. This report is due for release very soon.Saturation point

The CDCCI Report’s analysis of the indicators which are still based on estimated data for the year’s last quarter indicates that while the Philippine cellular mobile business may now very close to the long expected "saturation point’’ in terms of the number of subscriptions its growth will still be positive.

CDCCI projects that the growth curve of the Philippines for the number of cellphone mobile subscribers will continue on an upward trend albeit with lower growth rates until the penetration rate reaches the 90 percent penetration level. At that point, the curve is expected, if the present trend continues, to start to go down.

The CDCCI Report, however, claims that with the advent of new technologies, of new standards and of new innovations in services, new uses and applications of mobile phones will emerge. New as well as improved ways of using the mobile phone will enable the market to sustain growth even beyond penetration rates of 100 percent and higher.

It is in 2006 when speculations that Philippine is either about to reach the so-called "situation point" or has, in fact, already breached it. Saturation point is where and when the number of mobile phone subscribers will have reached its plateau in its own growth curve.

Eventually even its growth will disappear and a continuing down trend will then ensue. This will be demonstrated in the full CDCCI Report as the study also makes its own "fearless forecasts" on the future of the cellular mobile telephone service and its market in the Philippines beyond 2007 up to the end of year 2012.

CDCCI’s analysis of the cellular mobile phone market goes back to its early years as a telecoms consulting firm. By the end of 1991, the year when the cellular mobile telephone business was first launched, there were only about 33,800 users and the penetration rate was calculated at only 0.05 percent.

SIM card hits 55 million
(Manila Standard Today, 01/03/08, Roderick T. dela Cruz)


The number of mobile phones with active subscriber identity module cards in the Philippines hit more than 55 million as of December 2007, much higher than earlier forecasts.



This translates to a mobile phone penetration rate of at least 62 percent, based on the projected population of 88.5 million by the National Statistics Office.



The industry earlier had expected only 49 million to 50 million subscribers with a cellular penetration rate of 55 percent.



But as of Dec 31, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Smart Communications Inc, had over 30 million subscribers using its global system for mobile communication network.



Smart, which also own 92 percent of Pilipino Telephone Corp., added more than one million subscribers in the fourth quarter alone and five million in the whole of 2007.



Globe Telecom, the second largest mobile phone service provider in the country, was expecting to have over 20 million subscribers this year. It had a total wireless SIM bases of 19.2 million as of September.



A third major player, Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. of the Gokongwei group, reported a mobile phone subscriber base of 5.5 million as of December.

PLDT all set to venture into submarine cable system (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/jan/11/yehey/business/20080111bus10.html)


THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has approved the investment of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) in the construction of a multimillion-dollar international and local submarine cable network aimed at addressing the rising demand for Internet broadband bandwidth.

In an order, NTC Chief Ruel V. Canobas aid that the approval of PLDT’s application to participate in the ownership, construction, maintenance and operation of Asia-America Gateway (AAG) submarine cable network and cable landing station in La Union would increase the country’s bandwidth connectivity worldwide.

He said that it will also add more capacity to ensure redundancy in case of breakdown of other submarine cable systems in the region.

Fernando M. Sobierra 3rd, PLDT’s legal counsel, had said that the AAG project will cost about $553.63 million, with the telecom company committed to infusing $50 million, or a 9.03-percent investment share.

For the cable landing station in La Union, PLDT would invest about $62 million which will be financed through internally-generated funds, he said.

PLDT targets to complete the construction of the landing station in Barangay Bacuit, Bauang, La Union, in the first quarter of this year and the main cable system is scheduled to begin operations by the end of this year.

With the completions of the project, PLDT expects to meet the forecast growth in bandwidth requirements from new applications as it anticipates growth in international traffic within Southeast Asia and between the region and the US mainland.

PLDT along with other major telcos around the world signed an agreement to build a new submarine cable system from Southeast Asia to the US. NEC Corp. and Alcatel Submarine Networks would serve as contractors for the marine survey and cable and equipment installation.

The system will connect Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Guam, Hawaii and California.

As the Philippine landing party, PLDT will build a new cable station in La Union. Philippine carriers BayanTel and Eastern Telecommunications Phils. Inc., are also parties to the agreement.
-- Darwin G. Amojelar

Lawmaker looks into unsolicited text ads (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics5_jan17_2008)

A Metro Manila lawmaker is seeking a congressional inquiry into the barrage of unsolicited text messages that telecommunications firms send to some 35 million cell phone owners about the different value-added services they offer.

In House Resolution 363, Marikina Rep. Marcelino Teodoro said the investigation should not just answer the complaints of consumers on the very intrusive unsolicited text messages, but should also come out with regulations to keep telecoms firms from regularly sending unsolicited text messages.

“There is a need to formulate guidelines in order to protect the interests of the consumers or subscribers,” he said.

“Fixed amounts are being charged and collected regularly from consumers for services provided by such unsolicited text messages,” he added.

Aside from ring tones and cellular phone screensavers which costs from P2.50 to P5 each, the other unsolicited text messages include downloads for sports, comedy, horoscopes, celebrity videos (for 3G phones) which costs consumers P20 each download, among others.

Teodoro also said there were complaints about charges imposed against consumers’ available load (for pre-paid cell phones) even if they do not respond to the unsolicited text messages.

“Once activated or consented to by the consumers, companies keep on sending services availed of and charge some fixed amounts despite consumers’ response to stop said services,” he said.

Leading cellular phone service providers Smart and Globe Telecommunications have at least 35 million subscribers, aside from the pre-paid cell phone users, who engage in text messaging at least five times a day.

Reports said that Smart has 20.8 million subscribers; Globe with 12.4 million; and Sun Cellular with 1.8 million. Romie A. Evangelista

iPhone’ for P4,000 (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business5_jan18_2008)

THE knock-off iPhone from China has quietly found its way in Divisoria.

The Chinese version may be obtained from the usual suspects for as low as P4,000, as against the $200 (about P8,170) price being quoted in the Internet.

And for the more adventurous geeks, there is even a higher, slimmer version that allows dual-SIM card use. Asking price: P6,200.

Someone we know bought one of each version just the other day, and, from the initial tests, the units seem to carry out the basic functions, call and text, just fine—we just do not know for how long.

^^Those units are popular in here, especially in sidewalk-type cellphone traders and stores. China talaga, hay naku.

iPhone’ for P4,000 (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business5_jan18_2008)

THE knock-off iPhone from China has quietly found its way in Divisoria.

The Chinese version may be obtained from the usual suspects for as low as P4,000, as against the $200 (about P8,170) price being quoted in the Internet.

And for the more adventurous geeks, there is even a higher, slimmer version that allows dual-SIM card use. Asking price: P6,200.

Someone we know bought one of each version just the other day, and, from the initial tests, the units seem to carry out the basic functions, call and text, just fine—we just do not know for how long.

yeah, it's knock-off.

warning: mataas ang lead content nyan, malamang nakababad pa sa formalin.

Nokia bares honor roll in best devices (http://www.mb.com.ph/TECH20080124114981.html)

Nokia was recently given the prestigious gold award by T3 magazine.

The award was for the gadgets that were reviewed and lauded as the best of the year. These gadgets were the Nokia E90 Communicator, Nokia SU-8W Bluetooth keyboard, Nokia E65, Nokia N95, Nokia E61i, and the Nokia 6300.

The Nokia E90 Communicator is a mobile powerhouse that allows you to browse the Internet, enjoy graphics in its wide LCD, and lets you talk on every continent with quad band GSM. It also allows typing documents on its full QWERTY keyboard, and image and video capturing with its 3.2 megapixel camera. T3’s reco is "to sell all your existing gadgets and replace them with this computer-in-disguise". Aside from the mocca and red colors, it will soon be coming in an all black version.

Get more out of your workday with the Nokia E65 with a range of business features – conference calling, voice recording, notepad, integrated handsfree speaker, talking ringtones, Nokia Team Suite, In-device search, and message reader. It also has a one touch key for instant access for conference calls, mute/unmute, and contacts. T3 points out that "the satisfying ‘click’ in the slider shows that the E65 is a bonafide style phone".

With a QWERTY messaging keyboard, large landscape screen, and a wide range of connection methods, the Nokia E61i lets you go mobile with your email. T3 says its "daunting size is only the tip of the iceberg considering the amount of work you’ll be able to accomplish with this smartphone".

Dual slide functionality, 5 megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss optics, DVD-like video, connect wirelessly to the internet, integral GPS & mapping functionality, 2.6 inch display, media player, personalize with downloadable applications, widgets, and RSS feeds are some of the things that the Nokia N95 can do. Also recently launched is the Nokia N95 8GB, the bigger and better big brother of the Nokia N95. It boasts a 2.8 inch screen, 8GB of internal memory, Assisted GPS (A-GPS) for improved satellite access and better battery power.

Clean, modern design with stainless steel covers, 2 megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom, music player and FM radio, multimedia messaging, and a video player and recorder – the Nokia 6300 in T3’s words "is a thin fashion phone. The best part about it is that it doesn’t sacrifice usability and functionality". This bestseller will also be coming in an all black color very soon.

Finally, the Nokia SU-8W Bluetooth keyboard, which according to T3 "turns your mobile phone into a laptop. Simply pair your phone via Bluetooth and you’ll be typing away your documents with ease. A very practical gadget especially for students."

3G phone demand seen picking up this year (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/jan/25/yehey/business/20080125bus9.html)

By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter

DEMAND for 3G (third-generation) technology phones is expected to pick up this year, according to International Data Corp. (IDC).

In a study released Thursday, IDC said it anticipates interest in 3G to increase this year, although adoption will be faster in the devices space than in the services space.

“Rising market interest, falling prices of handsets and availability of more models catering to different purchasing skews, will further drive 3G-phone ownership,” IDC said.

Earlier, Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. admitted 3G demand has yet to pick up in the country since it was introduced early 2006.

The country’s two largest mobile-phone service providers are also uncertain when the market will flourish, since the prices of 3G-capable handsets have yet to come down.

With an estimated 250,000 3G phones on its network, Globe said about 50,000 to 60,000 subscribers use the service. For its part, Smart said its 3G users stood at more than 200,000 out of 500,000 3G-enabled handset users on its network.

IDC also said that overall information communication technology (ICT) spending is forecast to exceed the $2-billion mark this year, reaching $2.0273 billion, recording a 6-percent compound annual growth rate up to 2011.

“Spending in 2008 will likely revolve around maintenance or replacements of existing infrastructure,” the research firm said.

But as companies strive to improve competitiveness, upgrades will also be a major portion of ICT spending, with some enterprising firms focusing on strategic investments for the first time, it said.

In addition, IDC believes that the presence of solid economic fundamentals and strong government commitment toward ICT development and manpower training will enable the Philippines to become a significant player in the global information society.

“Under the current administration, ICT has already become a buzzword, contributing immensely to the country’s economic growth with programs such as the Philippine Cyber-services Corridor Program and the continued implementation of various government automation projects,” the IDC said.

IDC said that this development will help untapped areas to become highly capable ICT locations, increasing investments in these areas, with particular focus on personal systems, networking requirements and telecoms-related spending.

It added that the implementation of a decentralized development program by the government, better economic conditions and an improved digital infrastructure, will encourage vendors to invest in more sales and marketing efforts to capture market opportunities in areas outside Metro Manila.

With this, IDC said ICT spending from other regions, especially the Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon corridor, Central Luzon, Central and Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Davao Region, are seen to significantly increase this year.

Wireless landline demand seen surging (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/jan/30/yehey/business/20080130bus7.html)


DEMAND for wireless landline service in the Philippines is projected to surge as operators offer unlimited voice calls, the International Data Corp. (IDC) said on Tuesday.

In a statement, IDC said the service is becoming more popular in certain markets as operators use the technology to offer unlimited voice calls that resemble services offered by traditional landlines.

Despite the wild success of Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) mobile services, there remains significant pent-up demand for wireless landline as the pricing of GSM services makes frequent calls unaffordable to many, the research firm said.

IDC added that fixed-line penetration remains low in a number of largely populated markets such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Bayan Telecommunications Inc. (Bayan) rolled out its wireless landline service in key Metro Manila cities of Marikina, Manila, Caloocan, Pasay, Pasig, and in key cities in Visayas and Mindanao .

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel) also offer the service through Mango and Landline Plus, respectively.

Earlier, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued a draft circular ordering the interconnection of wireless landline service to other carriers for free within local calling areas.

The NTC said that there should be no interconnection access charges between interconnected fixed line for calls originating from or terminating at wireless local loop subscribers within a local calling area.

“Subscribers shall be allowed to move around, originate and receive calls anywhere within a local calling area,” the circular said, adding that all calls made within a local calling area should be considered local calls.

The NTC circular further said that subscriber units registered within a local calling area should not be used outside the local calling area.

The regulator said wireless landline calls made from one local calling area to another local calling area will be considered national long distance calls and be imposed the appropriate interconnection access charge.
-- Darwin G. Amojelar

IP E-Games, GMA New Media enter joint venture

Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Philippine Star Online

IP E-Game Ventures Inc., the online gaming subsidiary of IPVG Corp. and GMA New Media Inc., the digital media arm of GMA Network Inc., entered yesterday into a shareholders’ agreement to create and operate a joint venture company to be incorporated under the name I-Play Inc.

The business venture will focus on designing, operating and maintaining casual online gaming and casual online gaming-related portals.

The investment in I-Play Inc. will be in the form of an authorized capital stock worth P800 million, with an initial paid-in capitalization of P200 million.

I-Play will be equally owned by IP E-Games and GMA-NMI, with each party having a 50-percent stake in the company.

I-Play is set to commence operations in the first quarter of 2008.

“We’ve had online gaming in our agenda for quite some time but because we wanted to be in it for the long haul, we had to make sure that we come in when the market was ready, we had the right business model, and we found a partner that shared our vision,” says Judd Gallares, president of GMA-NMI.

“Some gaming businesses were built around one title and have had short-lived success. Others were built around core gaming despite the fact that casual gaming appeals to a broader user base and represents a greater majority of the market. Although we are keenly looking at both casual and core, I believe that starting off with casual gaming aligns ideally to the strategic strengths of GMA with its merchandising assets and its already wide audience base. In this regard, we looked for a strategic partner that had the same vision and core values as GMA-NMI’s. We found these in E-games.”

IPVG CEO Enrique Gonzalez expressed excitement about the joint venture partnership.

“With this collaboration, we have clearly established ourselves as a market leader in the casual gaming segment and are now positioned to be the partner and publisher of choice for all the top-tier game developers around the world that would like to introduce their products into the Philippines,” Gonzalez said.

GMA-NMI’s unique position of being both a media company and a technology company will certainly be played to the hilt in this partnership, said Gallares. “In combining the creativity and speed of digital with the broad reach and appeal of traditional, we’ll be breaking new paths in gaming.”

Gonzalez remarked, “The synergies between E-Games and GMA-NMI go beyond just marketing and game publishing. I think together, we can look at unique opportunities in creating purely localized casual games based on local IP assets and locally produced story lines.”

Both GMA-NMI and IP E-Games agree that the future of online gaming in the Philippines lies in the casual gaming segment because it appeals to a much broader audience base.

“Our partnership with GMA-NMI will allow us to take casual gaming and online gaming mainstream,” said Gonzalez. “This partnership symbolizes the convergence of traditional media with new media and highlights the role online gaming plays as a unique environment and medium for Internet users across the Philippines. Expect great things to come from I-Play.”

I-Play is just one of many initiatives in GMA-NMI’s Grand Digital Plan. This partnership follows the unprecedented success of GMA’s own news website, GMANews.tv, as well as that of Pep.ph, the Philippines’ leading entertainment website co-owned by GMA-NMI and Summit Media. “We will be announcing more ground-breaking projects in the months to come,” Gallares said.

IP E-Games, the biggest advocate of the Free to Play model in the country, currently has two online casual games in its roster – Audition Dance Battle and O2Jam.

One of the gaming distributor’s most exciting business innovations is content localization. A prime example of content localization is the integration of local talents in the highly popular rhythm casual game O2Jam. By hitting certain keys on the right beat, gamers can play the game to the tune of their favorite songs from popular local artists such as Hilera, Sugarfree, Urbandub, Slapshock and Sandwich.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080129143

Samsung to go after RP enterprise market in 2008

By Erwin Oliva

MANILA, Philippines -- Korean technology giant Samsung is bent on growing its enterprise business in the Philippines this year, executives said during its first briefing for the year.

Jino Caro Alvarez, general manager of information technology team of Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp., said Samsung has long been strong in the retail market in the country, with about 80 percent of their business revenues coming from this segment.

“We're going to enhance our enterprise business, as we aim to grow our IT business by 82 percent," he said.

Alvarez is now responsible for the IT business of the company, which includes monitors, hard disk and optical disk drives, and the printers.

He said that the company has generated about $38 million dollars in revenues for its IT business in 2007, with most of it going to the Philippine retail market. This year, Samsung has beefed up its own IT team to pursue the enterprise market.

This year, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp. aims to hit $60 million dollars in total IT revenues, as they focus on the enterprise market.

Last year, Samsung became the number one vendor for monitors in the Philippines. Its monitor business is divided between the cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors and the liquid crystal display (monitors).

Alvarez said the demand has shifted to LCD monitors, with about 88 percent of the revenues coming from this product. Philippine consumers are now buying LCD monitors more than CRTs, he said.

Samsung is also pushing its printing business in the country, as it is now the number two vendor in the local laser printer market. But on the multi-laser printer segment, Samsung now occupies the number one spot.

"We're confident that we're going to be number one in the laser printer business in three years," he said.

During the briefing, Samsung also unveiled its newer LCD products, laser printers and hard disk and optical disk drives for the Philippine market.

One of the products featured was the one-terabyte, three-platter hard disk drive that is now available in the market. Alvarez said that the demand for higher-capacity hard disk drives is also increasing, with consumers demanding for 80- to 120-gigabyte capacity.

Demand for DVD writers has also surpassed the CD-DVD writer combos, he said.

Intel to push wireless, new chip architecture in 2008

By Erwin Oliva

MANILA, Philippines -- Expect Intel-based laptops to be able to seamlessly connect to wireless fidelity (wi-fi) technology and to the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (Wimax) standard, a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long distances.

Intel said that 2008 is the year when true mobility would become a reality. The chip manufacturer is currently developing mobile Wimax silicon for mobile Internet and consumer electronic devices this year, according to Ricky Banaag, country manager of Intel Microelectronics Philippines, during its first 2008 briefing.

Banaag said that the next generation mobile Internet devices and ultra-mobile PCs running on the new “Menlow” platform will become available during the first half of 2008.

The Menlow chipset includes the new 45-nanometer, low-power processor codenamed “Silverthorne.”

Banaag said that Intel’s still-undisclosed new chip architecture will be announced this year. This new architecture will provide more power efficiency, and newer server features to the market, Intel said.

According to market analyst International Data Corp.’s Asia/Pacific (Excluding Japan) Telecommunications 2008 Top 10 Predictions, 2008 will be a year when wireless broadband technology will become a cost-effective solution for connectivity in markets in the Asia Pacific region.

For 2008, IDC predicts that WiMAX and HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) will “cooperate and compete for market share in the fixed, portable and mobile broadband addressable space with HSPDA being the winner for mobile broadband at 3G carriers, and Mobile WiMAX for mobile broadband at 2G carriers and in fixed service mode for fixed-line carriers.”

Intel: Innovations that change the world (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business%20As%20Usual&p=49&type=2&sec=39&aid=2008012734)
By Ricardo Banaag
Monday, January 28, 2008

Intel has been known as a world leader in technology — from pioneering microprocessors that changed the world of personal computers in 1971 to the integration of multi-core technology into processors for improved performance and efficiency. Intel products represent world-class performance, reliability and excellent quality. We achieve this through operational superiority, consistent improvement and putting our customers first in everything that we do.

Every Intel employee shares in this responsibility of maintaining and improving the quality of our products. We are a results-oriented company who values quality. We demonstrate it by supplying products that are performance and price competitive. Customer-orientation is an important principle for us at Intel. It is part of the seven Intel Core Values, which also include quality, discipline, risk-taking and great place to work. Our values statement is a template that guides our business behavior as well as our personal interactions in a workplace that is disciplined, fair and diverse. As country manager, I make sure that the company and our employees take these principles into consideration when making every decision, when accomplishing every project. Posters and badges emblazoned with Intel’s mission statement and these core values and are displayed throughout our offices to remind everyone of what Intel is all about, what we consider important.

We believe that it is not only innovation and superior quality that sets Intel products apart. It is our commitment that makes the difference. We make sure we focus not only on technology that we make but also on how our products touch people’s lives. It is important to Intel that we make technology that is relevant to our customers, innovations that make people’s lives better. It is not simply what we make — it is what we make possible for people everywhere.

Digital technology today is the gateway to economic and social progress in our knowledge-based society. Yet as we move towards the digital age, more than half of the world gets left behind. A digital divide is widening the chasm between the rich and the poor, the first-world and the third-world. Billions do not have access to computers, the Internet, communication technology or even good education. Intel is working to bridge that divide.

I take pride in working for Intel because of the way our technology helps bring the world together — from here in the Philippines to Africa to Europe, the Americas and beyond. Our company helps people from all corners of the globe to connect and have access to world-class technology that will make their lives easier, their businesses more efficient, their skills more suited to the demands of the information age. Our World Ahead Program aims to enhance lives through: affordable access to technologies best suited to local needs, relevant content and services, connections to the world via high-speed technology and education that prepares them for the future.

We see technology not just in terms of powerful devices, but as bridges to a better future and a world of opportunity for every man. By developing useful technology, Intel helps people get better education, adequate healthcare, efficient businesses, decent jobs and more. This is our mission and we’re doing it in all the countries we serve in cooperation with governments, companies and communities.

Intel is driving economic growth in developing nations by increasing access to fully capable and affordable computers through government assisted PC purchase programs. Our projects here in the Philippines are increasing connectivity through broadband deployments to areas that were previously isolated. I believe that technology that would help connect and unify people is especially important in an archipelago like the Philippines.

We are also committed to helping the small and medium business segment to thrive by taking advantage of affordable technology to manage their business processes and protect their investments. Intel is working to improve education as well by training teachers to integrate technology into their classrooms and encouraging students to do research and help improve technology.

We believe that technology is only as good as what you can do with it. That is why in Intel, we create technology and solutions that make a difference for real people. Here in the Philippines, we power initiatives that aim to impact lives. As country manager, I am proud of the projects that we have launched in different areas of the country in support of our advocacies.

Intel’s flagship project for education — the Intel Philippine Science Fair — is now on its tenth year of encouraging and developing young science talents from across the country. Through the years, the IPSF has proven that the Filipino’s genius in Science, Math and Engineering can compete with the world’s best despite limited resources. Intel recognizes the necessity for local support of science research and the need to provide a venue for budding Filipino scientists to showcase their creativity and inventiveness.

Through the IT for Education Project, Intel is helping provide computers, Internet access and educational content to schools worldwide. Under this program, Intel is promoting the 1:1 e-learning model, where students learn about technology media literacy, effective communication, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration through access to Intel technology. We offer a full range of mobile and desktop client PC and server designs for schools and universities, and have developed a new classmate PC platform for schools all over the world to provide a personal learning tool for children. In addition, Intel recently donated classmate PCs to Philippine schools as part of its initiative to donate 100,000 PCs to schools in emerging markets over the next few years.

To demonstrate our commitment to education, the Intel Teach Program has trained over four million teachers in more than 40 countries in using technology to enhance learning and prepare students for the 21st century. Here in the Philippines, a new online education and training component of the Intel Teach Program has now reached 66,500 teachers across the nation.

Our citizens are also taking advantage of Intel’s affordable PC packages tailored to their specific needs. The PCs for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) program with Microsoft and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) provides affordable PC packages and financial assistance and has benefited more than 2,000 OFWs and their relatives. For SMEs, 152,000 citizens or small businesses are acquiring Intel technology through notebook and desktop PC packages under the People’s PC Program. Furthermore, 200 Community e-Centers have been established to provide shared-access to technology, with plans to reach out to 1,500 municipalities by 2010.

Intel is also supporting healthcare programs in the country. The eKnowledge Public Domain is Intel’s collaboration with the Commission on Information Communication Technology and UNESCO to generate, package and disseminate public domain information to marginalized communities initially in the area of public health including disaster and emergency management piloted in Barangay Payatas in Quezon City.

Through these programs and the technologies we provide, Intel is investing in a better future for all. We are changing the meaning of technology and innovation — from that of cold machines and laboratories to a definition that values the human element, a definition that focuses on what these innovations mean for the human race; Innovations that make work more than just paperwork and numbers, entertainment more engaging and learning more meaningful. It’s comforting to know that this is something I take part in everyday as part of Intel.

Telco growth seen to slow down on peso’s strength (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/feb/06/yehey/business/20080206bus5.html)

By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter

THE Philippine telecom industry is expected to slow down this year owing to weak consumer spending because of the rapid appreciation of the peso, the country’s second largest mobile phone service provider said.

Gerry Ablaza, Globe Telecom Inc. president and chief executive officer, told reporters that the company is cautious given the local currency’s rise vis-à-vis the dollar.

“Hopefully, not a slowdown but maybe slower growth. Maybe revenue growth for the entire market this year will be in the 8 percent to 10 percent vicinity, whereas it was over 10 percent last year,” Ablaza said.

Ablaza said the strong peso could continue to hold back the company’s international long distance revenue growth.

The Globe executive said the industry will continue to grow but the pace will depend on develop-ments in the broader economy such as the peso and the rise in crude oil prices that could weigh on consumer spending.

Ferdinand dela Cruz, Globe Telecom head for Consumer Business, said the overseas Filipino workers’ purchasing power is shrinking because of the peso appreciation.

“There will be a softness in consumer spending [because of the stronger peso],” dela Cruz said.

A Nielsen Media Research report said that majority of OFW households spend between P101 and P499 a month to communicate with their loved ones. Another 13.7 percent spend between P500 and P999, while less than 10 percent spend more. The great majority at 97.4 percent uses prepaid cards.

Despite the expected slowdown, the subscribers identification module (SIM) penetration rate is expected to reach 70 percent this year from 60 percent last year, Ablaza said.

No link between mobile phone use and cancer--Japanese study

PARIS -- Japanese scientists looking at patients with brain tumors say they can find no evidence to support fears that using a mobile phone boosts the risk of cerebral cancer.

In a study published on Tuesday in the British Journal of Cancer, researchers led by Naohito Yamaguchi compared the history of mobile phone use in 322 brain cancer patients with 683 healthy people living in Tokyo.

"We studied the radiation emitted from various types of mobile phones and placed them into one of four categories relating to radiation strength," said Yamaguchi.

"We then analyzed how they would affect different areas of the brain, taking into account the organ's complex structure."

He added: "Using our newly developed and more accurate techniques, we found no association between mobile phone use and cancer, providing more evidence to suggest they don't cause brain cancer."

Previous studies into mobile phone use have thrown up conflicting findings, although the biggest investigation, covering 420,000 people and spanning in some cases more than a decade of phone use, failed to find a cancer connection.

Yamaguchi, from the Tokyo Women's Medical University, looked at patients with three types of brain cancer -- glioma, meningioma and pituitary adenoma -- which comprise around 85 percent of all brain tumors.

Several countries have guidelines such as advising the public to make shorter calls on mobile phones, use hands-free sets and let children only make essential calls in order to limit exposure to electromagnetic energy.

3G failure blamed on weak demand (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/feb/11/yehey/business/20080211bus4.html)

By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said the Philippines’ 3G (third generation) technology infrastructure roll out has been at a snail’s pace because of weak consumer demand.

In its executive brief on the status of 3G mobile services in the country, the NTC said the respective rollouts of Globe Telecom Inc., Smart Communications Inc. and Sun Cellular of Digital Telecommunications Phils. Inc. have been “very slow.” The fourth licensee,

Connectivity Unlimited Resources Enterprises (CURE), has yet to begin its rollout after more than a year of winning the much-coveted government permit.

Earlier, Smart and Globe’s rollout of their 3G infrastructure slowed down owing after the Board of Investments recalled tax perks earlier awarded the telecom companies.

“Existing mobile operators are still maximizing the capacities and returns from their GSM [Global System for Mobile communications] networks as they have not yet recovered their capital investments,” the NTC said.

The regulator noted that even in more developed countries like Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore and Taiwan, the number of existing 3G operators runs to no more than three.

“Presently, 3G handhelds are still very limited and quite expensive,” the NTC said.

A 3G-capable handset sells for $300 to $400. Video calls are one of the capabilities unique to these units. They also include Internet browsing, downloading and video streaming, among others

The NTC said voice and text still remain as primary services as these can be served using the existing GSM or 2G networks.

“Future demand for 3G maybe adequately served by the initial four 3G licensees who were given sufficient spectrum for their operations,” the NTC said.

A study done by the International Data Corp. (IDC) said demand for 3G phones would increase this year, although adoption will be faster in the devices space than in the services space.

“Rising market interest, falling prices of handsets and availability of more models catering to different purchasing skews, will further drive 3G-phone ownership,” IDC said.

Smart and Globe admitted 3G demand has yet to pick up in the country since it was introduced early 2006.

With an estimated 250,000 3G phones on its network, Globe said about 50,000 to 60,000 subscribers use the service. For its part, Smart said its 3G users stood at more than 200,000 out of 500,000 3G-enabled handset users on its network.

ang mahal kasi ng 3G access, sana free na lang. hehehe

^ you mean the unit? the rate of video call is the same as regular voice call.

Nokia says to launch touch-screen phone in late '08 :dance:

BARCELONA, Spain--Finnish manufacturer Nokia, the world's biggest maker of mobile phones, said Monday it would release a touch-screen handset for the first time in the second half of this year.

Nokia has been late in introducing the technology. Apple has scored a hit with its touch-screen iPhone and Nokia's traditional rivals LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and HTC have already used the technology.

Nokia chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told a press conference here that the touch-screen phone would appear "in the second half of 2008."

He added that Nokia, which had 40 percent of the world market at the end of 2007, would launch its music download service "Nokia Music Store" in 10 more countries in the next six months. It is currently available only in Britain.

Sony Ericsson sells over 100-M handsets in 2007


Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB—Sony Ericsson has said that units shipped in the past quarter reached 30.8 million, a 18% increase compared to the same period last year, generating continued sequential and year-on-year market share gains.

Sales for the quarter were Euro 3,771 million, in line with sales a year ago reflecting a strategic shift to a greater proportion of lower priced handsets in the product portfolio. Income before taxes for the quarter was Euro 501 million in line with a year ago. Net income for the quarter was Euro 373 million.

Sony Ericsson gained market share during the quarter due to the continued success of such products as the K550i Cybershot and the W200i, W300i and W580i Walkman phones in the Americas and Europe. Although Average Selling Price (ASP) increased slightly sequentially during the quarter, as a result of the introduction of new flagship Walkman and Cybershot phones such as the W910i and K850i models, the trend for falling ASPs year-on-year reflects the company’s direction to broaden its product portfolio.

"Sony Ericsson finished a very good year, which highlighted how the company has strategically positioned itself to capture market share with an expanded product portfolio. Investments are being made in both R&D and brand building, to deepen the portfolio and strengthen Sony Ericsson’s presence in new and developing markets around the world. Our target remains to become one of the top three players in the industry, and the momentum we established in 2006 and 2007 makes this a realistic and achievable ambition," said Dick Komiyama, President of Sony Ericsson.

Sony Ericsson estimates the 2007 global handset market as being over 1.1 billion units, in line with previous forecasts. On this basis the company believes it grew market share around 2 percentage points to reach slightly over 9% for the full year 2007 compared to full year 2006.

During the fourth quarter Sony Ericsson announced that it had entered into a series of agreements with Motorola, Inc. whereby Motorola acquired 50% of the share capital in U.I. Holdings BV, the Dutch owner of the Swedish software company UIQ Technology AB, which was acquired by Sony Ericsson from Symbian Ltd. earlier in the year. The transaction was ratified by the appropriate competition authorities during the quarter.

Sony Ericsson announced a number of new products during the quarter including high-end W890i Walkman and the K630i and the K660i HSDPA web phones. The company also announced its strategy to expand Sony Ericsson’s PlayNow, a digital content distribution application into a full service proposition during 2008. /Manila Bulletin

^ you mean the unit? the rate of video call is the same as regular voice call.

3G internet access, at yung unit.

^ sa SMART 10pesos/30 mins. ang charging, no per kb charging.

Globe to spend $50M for fiber optic network in North Luzon

Vol. XXI, No. 138
The Business World
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

THE WIRELINE business of Ayala-led Globe Telecom, Inc. is investing an additional $50 million this year to build a domestic fiber optic network in Northern Luzon to address demand in the area.

In an ambush interview on the sidelines of the 8th E-Service Conference which ended yesterday, Gil B. Genio, Globe Telecom head of Globe Business and Innove Communications, Inc. chief executive, said the domestic network will be linked to the international network infrastructure that the company is currently setting up as a partner of India’s VSNL International.

Innove Communications is Globe Telecom’s wireless business and will provide the domestic high capacity network in Northern Luzon later in the third quarter this year.

Late last year, Globe Telecom said it would participate in an international cable project with VSNL International, a member of Tata Group of India, which is setting up a trans-Asian submarine cable system via the TGN Pacific network which will link up to Japan, Guam and the United States.

Mr. Genio yesterday said the $50 million is in addition to the $40-million investment that the company announced last year for the international gateway connection terminating in Ballesteros, Cagayan Valley in Northern Luzon. The new landing station will be Globe Telecom’s second gateway to the US.

This second network will pass through the northeastern part of Luzon, far from the earthquake-prone area at the other side of the archipelago.

Mr. Genio said this setup was considered to avoid a repeat of networking problems that the telecommunications company encountered in 2006 and 2007 as an aftermath of the Taiwan earthquakes. Then, local telcos took some time to bring back up their telecommunications networks.

With the Northern Luzon landing station and domestic fiber network, Mr. Genio said Globe Telecom aims to respond to the demand for a high-capacity network beyond Baguio City in the Cordillera Administrative Region up North, and along the national cyberservices corridor leading to Central Luzon and Manila.

Currently, Globe Telecom is only providing high-capacity services in Baguio City in the Northern Luzon area.

Globe Telecom has had a more dominant presence in southern Philippines such as Mindanao. Mr. Genio said the high capacity network, which is 20 times faster than the current network, will cater to business processing outsourcing firms looking at other alternative sites outside Metro Manila.

But the network can also serve residential customers at lower unit cost.

Earlier this month, Globe Telecom said its wireline business grew by 11% to P6.8 million last year.

The company also said that it will earmark $450 million for capital expenditures this year, $180 million of which will be spent to expand the broadband services of its fixed and wireless business. — Veronica C. Silva-Cusi

http://www.bworldonline.com/BW021308/content.php?id=042

Price of text messages may rise
on NTC decisions–Smart, Piltel
http://businessmirror.com.ph/02182008/companies01.html

By Lenie Lectura
Reporter

SMART Communications Inc. and Pilipino Telephone Corp. may change the price of their short messaging service (SMS), a move that could raise the rates for sending text messages through mobile phones.

That is if the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) should insist that sister units Smart and Pilipino Telephone, also known as Piltel, pay each other the industry rate for access charges.

Smart lawyer Roy Ibay, in an interview, explained that earlier NTC decisions, which found the unit firms of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) guilty of engaging in rate discrimination practices, may compromise consumers because they would have to bear the brunt of the orders the NTC issued last month.

“There is no exact amount yet as to how much additional cost a subscriber must bear. What could happen is that the entire equation may change. So, instead of getting this much text messages paid for by a consumer for subscribing to a certain promo offering, there could be less text messages to be availed of instead,” he said.

Smart and Piltel are now asking the NTC to void its January decisions, which directed them to stop offering the “All Text Plus” and “Gaan Text Plus P10” promos and ordered them to pay total fines of P415,800 for violating 1995 and 2000 NTC circulars, as well as policy pronouncements in a case ruled in 2005.

They said the NTC orders would impact on consumers. If the orders are reversed, Smart and Piltel said, this will be an affirmation of subscribers’ right to enjoy a wider choice of services and innovative offerings.

Should the NTC insist on requiring Piltel to pay Smart the same access charge rate the latter pays Globe Telecom and other cellular firms, the commission is actually authorizing an unfair rate discrimination against Piltel.

This is because Piltel would be paying Smart P0.35 in access charge plus P0.03 as compensation to Smart for a total of P0.38 per SMS, which is higher than the industry rate of P0.35.

“Piltel would obviously have to pay Smart a higher access charge rate than the rate between Smart and other cellular operators…Ultimately, of course, this increases the cost of providing the service which will have to be unjustifiably passed on to the subscribers,” Piltel said.

The access charge between Smart and Piltel is P0.32 per SMS. The difference of P0.03, said the cellular firms, is a fee paid by Piltel to Smart as compensation for the use of the latter’s GSM (global system for mobile communications) network and facilities.

Piltel’s ‘Talk ’N Text’ service rides on the cellular network of Smart.

The NTC ruled that the pricing schemes of Smart and Piltel promos are lower than the current access charge regime for text messaging, which is P0.35 per text.

In the NTC orders, the beneficiaries of the lower access charge promos are limited to Smart and Piltel subscribers. This is because Piltel and Smart are extending to each other favorable rates without offering the same to others. Smart and Globe Telecom’s existing access charge rate is pegged at P0.35.

Piltel said the NTC January order has the “paradoxical effect of forsaking consumer welfare” which the NTC is not only duty-bound to protect but, equally important, actively promote.

Smart and Piltel said in a joint motion for partial reconsideration that the sum of the access-charge rate paid between them is nondiscriminatory because it is equal to the interconnection charge rate or the wholesale access rates between Piltel or Smart and other cellular operators.

“[Smart and Piltel], like other operators, are wireless telco providers. But [Smart and Piltel], unlike other operators, utilize one network. Thus, the term ‘on-net’ has been used to describe transactions within the network though the companies remain separate and distinct from one another,” they said in their filing with the NTC.

The use of the network is being paid for through the facilities management agreement (FMA) between Smart and Piltel.

Globe, which filed a complaint against Smart and Piltel on May 30, 2007, said the promos institutionalize discriminatory and anticompetitive pricing packages between Smart and Piltel.

The promos, said Globe, are causing “grave and irreparable injury” to the telecommunications industry. “The continued illegal offering erodes healthy and fair competition among the industry players, and thus putting in jeopardy the financial viability of all cellular operators.”

Piltel said Globe presented no evidence that the promos have affected the latter’s profitability.

“Rather than compete in the open market, [Globe] has demonstrated its unabashed solicitation of the intervention of the NTC whenever competitive pressure from other carriers is present in the market,” Piltel said.

“[Globe] should compete fairly given the market’s fair rules of competition and refrain from perpetually hiding under the protective skirt of the NTC,” Piltel added.

PLDT delays upgrade to
address congestion issues
By Lenie Lectura
Reporter
The Business Mirror

THE Philippines’ largest telecommunications company has delayed its planned upgrade to its New Generation Network (NGN)—which, like the Internet, transmits voice, data and video in packets—while it addresses congestion issues within its current system.

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) told the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that it is currently decommissioning switches and/or facilities to reduce the load on their congested trunks. As a result, subscribers of Bayan Telecommunications Inc. (Bayan) and Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (PT&T) have been unable to call up PLDT numbers.

“Internal network congestion being experienced by PLDT and not call restriction are the causes of inaccessibility issues experienced by carriers connected to network of PLDT,” said the company.

In December last year, PLDT said it tapped British Telecom (BT) to assist the company in its transformation to a new generation communications company.

“We have actually engaged with the advisory group of British Telecom to help us plan the transition on NGN,” said PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan.

A study is being drafted to determine how long the migration from a so-called legacy system to an NGN will take place.

Pangilinan said PLDT wants to learn from the experiences of BT, one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries.

BT is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc, and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

Earlier, PLDT, a former monopoly, was accused by PT&T of unilaterally blocking voice calls coming from the latter’s network.

PT&T had already asked the NTC to prevent PLDT from blocking all traffic from PT&T to PLDT subscribers in the “02” local exchange calling area.

According to PT&T, a cease and desist order should be issued against PLDT because the constriction has greatly affected the efficiency of the telecommunications services that PT&T provides to its subscribers.

Previously, outgoing calls from PT&T to PLDT were successfully connected nine out of ten times, PT&T said. Currently, only one such call out of ten is successful.

But the telecommunications giant defended itself from the unfounded claim of ‘traffic restriction’ raised by PT&T.

It pointed out that the network and facilities upgrade being undertaken in Metro Manila resulted in internal network congestion.

“The problem on network inaccessibility experienced by PT&T was also being experienced by Bayan who brought the matter to the attention of PLDT,” said PLDT.

Bayan said the so-called inaccessibility problem is causing great inconvenience to the public. The call completion rate (CCR) between Bayan and PLDT has dropped to as low as 18 percent from an average of about 60 percent.

In the Quezon City area, the CCR has gone down to 17.91 percent during mid-January this year. In Las Piñas, the CCR went down to 18 percent in the same period. Bayan monitored a CCR of 33 percent in Sampaloc, Manila.

A coordinated effort of both Bayan and PLDT to address the accessibility issue has confirmed congestion in the latter’s network.

PLDT said the network congestion is now being remedied.

“Taking into consideration PLDT’s load balancing activity certain dates were set for Makati, Las Piñas and Sampaloc,” it said, adding that the company has also re-activated the trunks upon receiving Bayan’s complaints.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0222&232008/companies03.html

Maturing cellphone market growth to slow down -- research

HELSINKI -- Volume growth in the cellphone industry is set to slow to the 10-percent level this year as European and North American markets mature, research firm Gartner said on Wednesday.

Gartner said the economic slowdown in the United States and Western Europe would have little impact on the handset industry as good demand in emerging markets is driving growth.

"People there buy the phone because they need it, not because they think it's fashionable," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi. "We don't think this industry will really be impacted by recession."

All handset vendors combined sold 330.1 million mobile phones in the October-December quarter, with strong demand in emerging markets in India and China lifting sales 16.1 percent from a year ago, Gartner said.

Growth was at 16 percent also for the full-year, it said.

The main gainer from surging sales in emerging markets was the world's largest maker Nokia, whose market share rose to 40.4 percent in the fourth quarter from 36.2 percent in the same quarter the previous year, Gartner said.

The Finnish company has a strong lead in emerging markets.

South Korea's Samsung surpassed Motorola and had 13.4 percent of the market in the quarter, compared with 11.9 percent for the struggling US company, Gartner said.

Sony Ericsson increased its market share to 9.0 percent, while LG Electronics stood at 7.1 percent.

Nokia continued to benefit from demand for ultra-cheap phones in the quarter, but it reported superior profit margins.

Nokia's profit margin on cellphones rose to 23.6 percent in the quarter, while its best-performing rivals -- Samsung and Sony Ericsson -- were at 11.4 percent and 13.0 percent, respectively. (Editing by David Cowell)

By Tarmo Virki
Reuters

NTT DoCoMo, Smart to offer mobile email, Internet service (http://http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=49&type=2&sec=27&aid=2008022749)


By Mary Ann LL. Reyes
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The world’s leading mobile communications company is set to offer in the Philippines the most popular mobile e-mail and Internet service.

NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s mobile communications leader, and Smart Communications have forged a partnership that will allow Smart to offer to its subscribers one of the world’s leading technologies, called i-mode, beginning March 15.

i-mode is a mobile email and Internet service launched by NTT DoCoMo in February 1999. Today it is used by more than 47.8 million subscribers in Japan. Through NTT DoCoMo’s global partnerships, it is also available to mobile subscribers in 15 other countries in Asia and Europe.

Smart said the new service is being offered as part of its thrust of offering messaging options that answer a wide array of subscribers’ needs.

Smart has over 30 million subscribers on its GSM network. DoCoMo serves over 53 million customers and offers a wide variety of leading-edge mobile multimedia services, including i-mode, the world’s most popular mobile e-mail/Internet service. DoCoMo is one of the biggest shareholders of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), which owns 100 percent of Smart. The NTT Group, which includes NTT Communications and DoCoMo, own 20 percent of PLDT.

Regulator pushes for free
within-network texting

Monday, March 03, 2008
The Manila Times

TEXT messages within the same network may soon be offered free as the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) wants to cut interconnection rates among mobile phone service providers.

Ruel V. Canobas, NTC commissioner said interconnection charges have a direct effect on retail prices. “Retail prices include interconnection charges if a call or text [message] is sent from one network to another network. For calls or text [messages] sent within the network, the retail price is lower,” he said.

The regular access charge agreement Smart Communications Inc. and Pilipino Telephone Corp. (Piltel) submitted to NTC shows the SMS (short messaging service) charge between them is P0.32 per text message, or P0.03 lower than what Smart charges other operators. Both telecom companies belong to the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. group.

Canobas said the retail price or fee for text messaging within the same network may almost become free if the interconnection rates are set at minimum prices.

He, however, said that the power of the NTC to set interconnection charges is limited under Section 18 of the Republic Act 7925. Under the law, the access charge/revenue sharing arrangements between all interconnecting carriers shall be negotiated between the parties before submission to the regulator.

Given this, the NTC is pushing for House Bill No. 456, which proposes to prohibit public telecommunications entities (PTEs) from imposing fees and/or charges on text messaging between subscribers of the same network.

Under the proposed bill prepaid subscribers shall be entitled to free text messages until such prepaid load has been fully consumed.

Canobas said when Sun Cellular entered the business, it embarked on a massive marketing campaign introducing free text and voice calls “on net” or between and among its subscribers. Rivals Smart and Globe Telecom Inc. followed suit in successive promos of the same nature.

“If the PTEs are required to provide free text messages between its subscribers until the value of the prepaid call card is fully consumed, the PTEs may stop offering low-priced prepaid cards and longer validity period,” Canobas said.

At present, the value of prepaid cards ranges from P50 to P100 and P300 with a validity period of a month or less. Text-messaging revenues comprise the biggest income earned by telcos.
-- Darwin G. Amojelar

Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/03/yehey/business/20080303bus4.html

PLDT ’07 earnings expected to hit P38B

The Business World

THE COUNTRY’S largest telecommunications firm, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), is expected to report today higher-than-target profits for 2007, driven by its mobile phone and information and technology (IT)-linked businesses.

Ahead of the Pangilinan-led firm’s announcement of its results for 2007, analysts said yesterday that PLDT’s net income could hit P38 billion due to revenue contributions from Smart Communications, Inc. and other IT-related businesses.

Last December, PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said the firm’s net income at year-end should be slightly above the P35-billion mark, while core net income should be between P34 billion to P35 billion. PLDT earned more than P24 billion in profits in 2006.

As distinguished from core net income, net income takes into account extraordinary or non-recurring items like gains or loses from foreign exchange fluctuations.

PAPA Securities Corp. Research Head Joan R. Parayno said that considering external variables like political uncertainties and a looming US recession, PLDT net profit would likely hit P38 billion, while core net income should be between P36 billion to P37 billion.

"Even if there was a marginal subscriber increase, PLDT’s aggressive advertising campaigns and promotions helped [expand] the existing businesses," she said.

PLDT shares will remain more attractive than those of competitor Globe Telecom, Inc. because of dividends. "Investors are buying because of higher dividend yields and PLDT is putting a stiff premium on its shares. Foreign investors would also like PLDT more because of its liquidity, enabling it to capture a bigger market share this year," she said.

First Metro Securities Brokerage Corp. Analyst Jan Michael B. Acebo echoed Ms. Parayno’s projections.

"Most firms do well in the last quarter of the year. Given the holidays, revenues of telcos should shoot up. Given Globe’s performance, its like a prelude to PLDT’s performance," Mr. Acebo said.

But compared with Globe’s financial results, PLDT’s end-2007 growth rate should be slightly lower, said Mr. Acebo, owing to the latter’s traditional fixed-line telephone business that is "dampening its bottom line."

"This year, IT-linked business like broadband should continue to grow. Their mobile phone business is more of a steady cash flow generator. The potential growth is in IT," Mr. Acebo said.

Joey Roxas, president of Eagle Equities, Inc. said: "Data and other Internet-related services would be a regular business in the future. Cellphone business should also continue to be a driver."

In 2007, Globe’s net income surged by 13% to P13.3 billion from P11.75 billion in 2006.

Mediaquest Holdings, a unit of PLDT’s Beneficial Trust Fund, has a minority stake in BusinessWorld. — Marian Grace S. Ramos

--------------------

Story Location: http://www.bworldonline.com/BW030408/content.php?id=042

Filipinos sent 1 bln text messages daily in 2007 (http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSMAN29726320080304?sp=true)
Tue Mar 4, 2008 7:07am EST

By Rosemarie Francisco

MANILA, March 4 (Reuters) - Filipinos doubled the number of text messages they sent last year to an average of 1 billion daily, industry data showed on Tuesday.

The Philippines is one of the prolific text messaging centres of the world with even the central bank governor sending monetary policy statements via mobile phone and an increasing number of consumers using their handsets for banking and bill payments.

For the estimated 8 million plus Filipinos who work overseas, texting is the main method of staying in touch with family back home. Text messages are also an important political tool and were instrumental in the overthrow of President Joseph Estrada in 2001 by alerting people to rallies.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) (TEL.PS: Quote, Profile, Research), the country's biggest telecoms group, said on Tuesday messages on its network hit a daily average of 700-750 million last year.

For a story on PLDT's 2007 results please click on ID:nMAN238428.

Rival Globe Telecom (GLO.PS: Quote, Profile, Research) told Reuters about 300-400 million messages were sent daily on its network last year.

PLDT and Globe have over 50 million subscribers and the country's mobile penetration rate is around 60 percent, compared with 35 percent in Indonesia, 75 percent in Thailand and 84 percent in Malaysia.

Napoleon Nazareno, PLDT's chief executive, said up to 80 percent penetration is possible over the next two years as a rising economy enables more people to buy mobiles.

In 2006, 500 million text messages were sent daily and 250 million in 2005, according to the National Telecommunications Commission.

The popularity of text messaging is partly driven by cheap offers. Credit can be bought for as little as one peso (2.5 U.S. cents) and one mobile user can pass credits to another phone.

A SIM card can be bought for 50 pesos.

Filipinos sent 1 billion text messages daily in 2007 (http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSMAN29726320080304)

MANILA (Reuters) - Filipinos doubled the number of text messages they sent last year to an average of 1 billion daily, industry data showed on Tuesday.

The Philippines is one of the prolific text messaging centers of the world with even the central bank governor sending monetary policy statements via mobile phone and an increasing number of consumers using their handsets for banking and bill payments.

For the estimated 8 million plus Filipinos who work overseas, texting is the main method of staying in touch with family back home. Text messages are also an important political tool and were instrumental in the overthrow of President Joseph Estrada in 2001 by alerting people to rallies.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), the country's biggest telecoms group, said on Tuesday messages on its network hit a daily average of 700-750 million last year.

Rival Globe Telecom told Reuters about 300-400 million messages were sent daily on its network last year.

PLDT and Globe have over 50 million subscribers and the country's mobile penetration rate is around 60 percent, compared with 35 percent in Indonesia, 75 percent in Thailand and 84 percent in Malaysia.

Napoleon Nazareno, PLDT's chief executive, said up to 80 percent penetration is possible over the next two years as a rising economy enables more people to buy mobiles.

In 2006, 500 million text messages were sent daily and 250 million in 2005, according to the National Telecommunications Commission.

The popularity of text messaging is partly driven by cheap offers. Credit can be bought for as little as one peso (2.5 U.S. cents) and one mobile user can pass credits to another phone.

A SIM card can be bought for 50 pesos.

PLDT wireless business can
grow despite political issues

By Lenie Lectura
Reporter

The Business Mirror

PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said Tuesday economic and political concerns could affect the phone giant’s core-net income this year but the subscriber take-up in the wireless business could grow at the same level as last year’s.

Form last year’s core-net income of P35.2 billion, the PLDT group expects to end this year with P37 billion or 5 percent than last year’s figure. In 2007, core earnings grew by 11 percent from previous year’s P31.6 billion.

“Essentially, we are being somewhat conservative. I must admit the goal is to achieve higher the guidance number but we are quite concerned generally with the geopolitical concerns, that if the US economy suffers… no matter how you claim that the Philippine economy [and] the Asian economy [are] already decoupled from [that of] the US. I frankly don’t see that,” Pangilinan said.

Apart from inflation, the Pangilinan is concerned about the peso’s strength. “The continuing dollar weakness has impacted on the strength of the peso. So, we are quite concerned about that. As you know, 38 percent now of our revenues are dollar linked so that has a negative impact on revenues,” Pangilinan said.

“Domestically, the political concerns” could also impact on the group’s performance, he added but did not elaborate.

PLDT reported that the rise in core-net income was mainly brought about by the increased in revenues and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) of 8 percent and 4 percent, respectively. PLDT reported P135.5 billion in consolidated service revenues, notwithstanding the 10-percent appreciation of the peso, and an Ebitda of P82.9 billion.

Had the peso remained stable last year, service revenues would have grown by P5.3 billion more, PLDT said.

The company also declared a final dividend of P68 per share, fulfilling a pledge to pay out the equivalent of 70 percent of core earnings. On top of that, the board approved a special dividend of P56 per share. Added to the previously interim dividend of P60 per share paid in September 2007, total dividends for the year would amount to P184 per share, representing a payout of substantially 100 percent of core earnings for 2007.

The performances of Smart Communications Inc. and Piltel’s Talk ‘N Text largely contributed to the group performance last year as consolidated wireless-service revenues rose to P86.5 billion, up 10 percent from P78.4 billion in 2006.

Service revenues of P22.4 billion in the fourth quarter were 6-percent higher than the third-quarter revenues, due to increased usage normally associated with the holiday season, and 10-percent higher than the same quarter a year earlier.

The group’s total cellular subscriber base last year grew by 5.9 million to 30 million. For the year, Smart recorded net additions of approximately 3.2 subscribers while Talk ‘N Text added about 2.7 million subscribers to end 2007 with 20.3 million and 9.7 million subscribers, respectively.

In February 2008, the PLDT Group’s cellular subscriber base surpassed 31 million as Smart and Piltel added about one million new subscribers in the first two months of the year.

PLDT president Napoleon Nazareno said this year’s subscriber base could grow “slightly higher than 5 million.”

When asked if PLDT’s wireless subscriber base could widen by another 5.9 million more this year, Nazareno said, “approximately the same increase as last year.”

Pangilinan said the group is looking at investing in new business related to telecommunications. “We are looking at a number of opportunities… We have to allocate a portion of the cash to telecommunications related investments,” he said.

Consolidated free-cash flow remained strong at P46.5 billion last year despite the increases in capital expenditures (capex) and working capital requirements. Capex increased to P25 billion, or 20-percent higher than 2006 levels, and were primarily used to accelerate the capacity and rollout of wireless and broadband network because of higher than expected subscriber growth.

Total capital expenditures for 2007 remained below annual-depreciation costs and represented 18 percent of service revenues. Capex for the group are expected to remain at approximately P25 billion this year.

The group will use internally-generated cash to fund its capex but Pangilinan said the group might consider a supplier-credit type of borrowing to partly finance expenses.

Source: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/03052008/companies01.html

Piltel asks NTC to stop Globe’s new unlimited text promotion

PILIPINO TELEPHONE Corp. (Piltel) wants rival Globe Telecom, Inc. to stop its current unlimited short message service (SMS) promotion after failing to reply on time to Piltel’s complaint before the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

BW File Photo

Piltel, a subsidiary of Pangilinan-led Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), said Globe had filed its reply to the complaint on Feb. 29, a day late from the extended deadline given by the NTC.

"Hence, in view thereof, there is legal and factual basis to declare respondent Globe in default. Moreover, the same failure of respondent Globe to file its answer also constitutes a violation of the honorable commission’s show-cause order," Piltel said in a motion dated March 18.

Piltel, the operator of the cellular brand Talk N’ Talk, asked the NTC to penalize Globe by stopping the unlimited text service offered by Ayala-led Globe and ordering it to reinstate its older "Globe Unlimitxt" service.

Globe now offers an all-day unlimited text service of P20 per day, P40 for two days, and P80 for five days. Globe also has a night shift offer at P10 for 10 hours per day and P20 for 20 hours for two days and a day shift at P15 for eight hours a day and P30 for 16 hours for two days.

"An order [should] be issued directing Globe to immediately reinstate its Globe Unlimitxt service for discontinuing and withdrawing it from the market without prior approval of this honorable commission and without due notice to the public," Piltel said.

Piltel does not have a similar unlimited text service. Its SMS promotions include GaanTxt100 for two days, 90 SMS for Smart and Talk N’ Txt subscribers and LahatTxt20, 50 SMS to any network for a day.

Globe Regulatory Division Chief Froilan M. Castelo reiterated the position of the Ayala Corp.-Singapore Telecom International Pte. Ltd. joint venture that it is not going to yield to Piltel’s demands.

"In the absence of any violation of the commission’s rules, regulations and circulars, [the cancellation of the new unlimited text service] is not possible," Mr. Castelo said in a telephone interview last week.

"That is not for Piltel to decide. That is a matter between Globe and its subscribers. Our customers are satisfied with the current offering. At the same time, we are able to offer better network quality. What would they like — better service afforded in the current offering or the previous one?"

Mr. Castelo said Globe’s revised unlimited text promotion optimized its network, allowing the cellular network provider to give a better service with fewer dropped calls and increased completed calls.

Globe earlier said the average monthly registration for the new service has reached 11 million, compared with 9.77 million from the old one www.itmatters.com.ph

Smart seeks to expand 3G service (http://http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/24/yehey/business/20080324bus5.html)

By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter

SMART Communications Inc. said it would offer a wide range of 3G (third generation) technology data services to its subscribers nationwide.

The wireless unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) has sought additional 3G frequencies from the National Telecommuni-cations Commission (NTC) for use in its bandwidth-hungry services.

Smart wants the assignment of the 825 to 835 megahertz and 870 to 880 megahertz bandwidth. Its current 3G-frequency assignment falls within the 1920 to 1935 megahertz and 2110 to 2125 megahertz range.

In a letter to the NTC, Enrico L. Español, Smart’s Department Head for Legal and Regulatory Concerns, said the additional frequency band is necessary to enable the company to offer a new and expanded range of leading-edge and high-speed data services involving more complex applications that require wider and bigger bandwidth and faster data speeds.

Español said these bandwidth-hungry services include interactive rich media generation of user content, medical and hospital remote medical diagnosis and tele-radiology, business functionalities, distance education or e-learning, e-government, telemetry for machine-to-machine applications as well as ubiquitous and pervasive wireless broadband or high speed Internet access.

Smart had set aside P33 billion for its planned capital expenditure in six years.

It already offers 3G services in Metro Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Boracay, Baguio, Davao and in other key cities and major towns in the country.

Rival Globe Telecom Inc. earlier asked for additional 3G frequency bands for its deployment in rural areas.

A study done by the International Data Corp. said demand for 3G phones will increase this year, although adoption will be faster in the devices space than in the services space.

3G provides the subscriber faster access to the Internet and capability to transmit and receive data in various forms, including photos, video, and audio.

Smart and Globe were two of four companies that bagged permits to offer 3G more than two years ago. The other two were Digital Telecommunications Phils. Inc. and Connectivity Unlimited Resources Enterprises. Although bidding for the frequencies was hotly contested, 3G take up has yet to live up to earlier forecasts of demand.

b'z2;18818933"]Filipinos sent 1 bln text messages daily in 2007 (http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSMAN29726320080304?sp=true)
Tue Mar 4, 2008 7:07am EST

By Rosemarie Francisco

MANILA, March 4 (Reuters) - Filipinos doubled the number of text messages they sent last year to an average of 1 billion daily, industry data showed on Tuesday.

Woah! Grabe un ah! 1B texts daily?!

That's 365,000,000,000 texts that year. :lol:

spam text messages lang naman yun.
wer na u, hir na me.
lol.

^^ add to that SMS for BIR's Premyo sa Resibo and other SMS-based contests/raffles, etc. :)

Globe and AeroMobile bring airline roaming to subscribers


In line with the company’s thrust to provide subscribers with relevant and easy-to-use services, Globe has entered into an agreement with a new roaming partner, AeroMobile, that will allow Globe postpaid subscribers to enjoy airline roaming.

Through the agreement, Globe postpaid subscribers will soon be able to enjoy a safe and convenient way to use their mobile phones while on board selected airlines. Subscribers can make and receive calls and SMS as long as the subscriber’s mobile phone is GSM capable.

Globe postpaid subscribers need not worry about potential adverse effects of the mobile phone’s signal on the aircraft’s systems as the AeroMobile system is designed so that it does not affect any other aircraft systems or sub systems. The AeroMobile system controls all mobile phones on the aircraft so that they operate at the minimum power level.

Globe is on a mission not only to relentlessly provide international roaming breakthroughs that make the company the leader in this arena, but also to make the world smaller by bridging the distance between continents.

With more than 450 roaming partners in over 200 destinations worldwide that support the system, Globe’s airline roaming service is proof of an on-going effort to keep Globe subscribers connected all the time, wherever they are in the world. www.mb.com.ph

Globe bucks plan to open SMS service to non-telcos (http://http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/apr/01/yehey/business/20080401bus4.html)

By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter

GLOBE Telecom Inc. is bucking a plan of the National Telecommu*nications Commission (NTC) to classify short messaging system (SMS) or text messaging as a value added service.

Text messaging remains the bread-and-butter of local telecom companies. If the NTC plan pushes through, then even non-telcos may offer this service.

Froilan Castelo, Globe’s head for regulatory affairs said text messaging and leased line services are not value-added because they require a separate infrastructure to operate.

“Clearly, a [value-added service] provider is prohibited from putting up its own network or infrastructure and is only allowed to lease or rent telecommunications equipment and facilities,” Castelo said.

He noted that in offering text messaging and leased lines services, these operators shall have to construct their own infras*tructure to operate.

In a draft circular, the NTC plans to consider messaging services, including SMS, multimedia system (MMS) and unified messaging, audio and video conferencing, voice mail, electronic mail, applications service (mobile banking, electronic payments) audiotext, facsmile, VPN and PBX hosting as value-added.

Castelo cited the implementing rules of Republic Act 7925, which stated that value-added services are those that add a feature or value not ordinarily provided by a public telecom entity, such as format, media, conversion, encryption, enhanced security features and computer processing, among others.

April 3, 2008
Globe Telecom to build FOBN2 before ‘08 ends
TO BOOST INTERNET SERVICES IN VISAYAS (http://www.visayandailystar.com/2008/April/03/businessnews1.htm)

MAKATI CITY – Globe Telecom is building a new Fiber Optic Backbone Network to boost its Internet services in the Visayas, including Negros Occidental, as part of its $100 million high speed improvement measures, Gil Genio, Globe Business head, said Tuesday.

“Hopefully by the end of this year we will see a world of difference from an Internet point of view in the Visayas,” said Genio, who is also chief operating officer of Innove Communications Inc.

Genio said that, of their more than 120,000 Internet subscribers at the end of 2007, half of them were from the Visayas.

Globe currently has a FOBN from Luzon to Davao but as it continuous to grow in Visayas and Mindanao, that is no longer enough, he said.

So to add to its service capacity it is building the FOBN2 in the eastern part of the country to further improve its Internet services in the Visayas, Genio said.

This would address some subscriber-complaints of Internet connection problems in Bacolod, he said.

“By the end of this year, or even earlier, you will see a day and night difference…with faster and better connections,” he said.

“We are bullish about the broadband business and intend to intensify our efforts to build a more pervasive network, using wired and wireless technologies,” Gerardo Ablaza Jr., Globe president and chief executive officer, said.

EARNINGS GROW

At an annual stockholders meeting here, where Globe invited journalists from the Visayas and Mindanao, its chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said that in 2007, “Globe set a new benchmark as it achieved record earnings and shareholder returns, while it continued to grow in subscriber base.”

Globe closed 2007 with a record core net income of P13.7 billion, and total cash dividends paid reached P15.3 billion, he said.

“Globe’s strong performance was in large underpinned by a much more vibrant domestic economy,” he said, citing the economy growing at its fastest pace in over three decades, a strong broad-based demand for telecom services, fueled by sustained growth in overseas remittances and an emerging business process outsourcing sector.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Gerardo Ablaza Jr., Globe president and chief executive officer, also told the stockholders that, beyond operating and financial results, Globe also has focused on corporate citizenship programs.

“We focused our efforts on promoting education through Text2Teach, Internet in Schools and GILAS (Gearing Up Internet Literacy and Access for Students), while supporting entrepreneurship and livelihood programs for the barangays through Globe Bridgecom sa Bayan,” he said.

He also noted that last October, Globe broke ground for the first ever Globe-GK Farming Institute for GK Communities in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City.

“It is a community-based center that is designed to promote agriculture as a viable source of livelihood,” Ablaza said.

2008 OUTLOOK

Ablaza said Globe expects continued growth in 2008 but it may be muted compared to 2007 amid the strength of the peso and its impact on the spending patterns of the OFW families, the rise in crude oil prices and the impending food crisis globally.

Ablaza also said Globe in the past year was quite successful in its efforts to prevent cellsite attacks and cable theft.

He attributed this to their strengthened security strategy as they work closely with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.*CPG

PLDT gains 1.5-M wireless users
(Business Mirror, 04/10/08, Lenie Lectura)


Wireless subscribers of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) Group grew by about 1.5 million in the first quarter of the year.
In a text-message, PLDT president Napoleon Nazareno said the combined subscribers of Smart Communications Inc. and Piltel’s ‘Talk ‘N Text’ reached 31.5 million as of March 31.

“That’s right, it grew to about 31.5 million,” he said.

The numbers compare with the 1.3 million subscribers that brought the Group’s subscriber base to 25.5 million in the first quarter of 2007.

In 2007, the phone giant reported its cellular subscriber base increased by 5.9 million to 30 million.

This year, the PLDT Group targets to add at least five million mobile- phone subscribers and about half a million for broadband.

Smart and Piltel will continue to defend their leadership by developing innovative voice and text packages that drive activations, boost usage and strengthen brand equity. The PLDT group holds about 55 percent of the cellular market.

Nazareno said mobile phone-penetration rate, or the percentage of Filipinos estimated to have cellular phones in relations to the estimated number of population will reach 75 percent to 80 percent in two to three years.

The same measure last year hit 57 percent, or about 50 million cellular subscribers. It stood at 48.7 percent in 2006 and 40.9 percent in 2005. In terms of mobile-phone subscribers, there were 41.8 million in 2006 and 34.4 million in 2005.

Nazareno also said Wednesday that short message service (SMS) traffic is now averaging between 1.1 billion and 1.2 billion a day, of which 700 million to 750 million are outbound messages.

“This year, we are targeting about double in terms of broadband subscribers. Probably, we will have one million broadband subscribers this year,” Nazareno said.

The group offers three types of broadband services—PLDT DSL, Smart Bro and WeRoam. Subscriptions for these more than doubled to 579,000 last year, or five times more than the reported subscribers of its closest competitor.

The group’s competitive edge in broadband market can be attributed to its ability to offer wireless-broadband services in areas where traditional copper wire is absent. “The Philippine broadband market is brimming [with] potential. It is just like the cellular industry,” Nazareno said.

The addressable market for broadband services is expanding rapidly, because of the growing number of personal computers (PCs) that in 2006 stood equivalent to eight percent of the population, or about 1.4 million households with access to PCs.

“…We are seeing P20,000 for a PC. That will guide the growth. Remittances also play an important factor. Before, overseas Filipino workers mostly bring home televisions but now they bring in more PC for their family. So, that will definitely help broadband grow,” Nazareno added.

http://businessmirror.com.ph/05052008/headlines03.html

Globe ban in Global City nixed
By Joel R. San Juan
Business Mirror
May 5, 2008

THE claim of Bonifacio Communications Corp. (BCC) and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) that they have exclusive rights to operate within the Bonifacio Global City (BGC)—to justify blocking the bid of Globe Telecom Inc. to also operate in the area—has been rejected as unconstitutional by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The department thus affirmed the stand of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that the Constitution prohibits any carrier from claiming exclusivity in the operation of public utilities within any given service area.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez reiterated in his legal opinion that Section 11, Article XII of the Constitution provides that the operation of a public utility shall not be exclusive. “Our reservations notwithstanding, the NTC can enforce and validly maintain that the Global City is a ‘free zone’ within which all enfranchised public telecommunications entities so authorized by the NTC can provide high-speed networks and communications connectivity.”

NTC chairman Ruel Canobas sought the DOJ chief’s legal opinion after Globe Telecom and its wireless-communications provider subsidiary Innove objected to the claim of exclusivity claimed by PLDT, based on its agreement with BGC.

The BGC, a subsidiary of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), had been appointed as sole provider of telecommunications infrastructure within the BGC except for the “e-Square area” comprising about 20 to 25 hectares since other carriers, including Globe, were already servicing it at that time.

Although he declined to render an opinion on the validity of the agreement between the BGC and PLDT, which can be disputed in court, Gonzalez said the NTC has rightfully noted that the Supreme Court has repeatedly struck down claims of monopoly in public telecommunications services.

The right to develop the BGC belongs to Fort Bonifacio Development Corp. (FBDC), a private corporation. In 1998 the FBDC and the Bonifacio Communications Corp. (BCC) entered into a memorandum of agreement granting BCC “the exclusive right to install, construct, own and maintain all the necessary communications infrastructure and provide the related services, including but not limited to value-added services within the service area.”

The BCC was previously owned principally by Smart Communications, BCDA and FBDC until 2002. Subsequently, Smart was acquired by PLDT and it later acquired the shares of Smart in BCC.

In the same year, PLDT acquired all the shares of FBDC in BCC, so that BCC is now owned 75 percent by PLDT and 25 percent by BCDA.

The agreement between FBDC and PLDT for the acquisition of FBDC’s shares in BCC provides that it will be the sole provider of basic telecommunications and related services and will have exclusive access to the communications infrastructure of BCC—that, under the agreement, is the sole telecommunications infrastructure provider while PLDT is given exclusive access to the telecommunications infrastructure of BCC.

Gonzalez noted, however, that a careful review of Republic Act 7227, the law creating the BCDA, does not show the grant to BCDA of any exclusivity in the operation of infrastructure of public utilities.

“While Section 5(f) of R.A. 7227 states that BCDA is authorized ‘to construct, own, lease, operate and maintain public utilities as well as infrastructure facilities,’ nothing in RA 7227, however, shows that the grant is sole and exclusive,” he said in his legal opinion.

spam text messages lang naman yun.
wer na u, hir na me.
lol.

:lol:

Published: May 06, 2008

Mercury Rising: Philippines 3G Operator CURE selects 3ple-Media's Mercury as its Core Mobile Multimedia Platform

Philippines based 3G Mobile Operator, CURE, has selected the award winning Mercury multimedia platform, from 3ple-Media. CURE (Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise Inc) is scheduled to launch during 2008 and will use Mercury as their sole and mission critical mobile multimedia platform.

CURE becomes the second Asian Operator to implement the Mercury platform, which is fast gaining recognition for its unique combination of commercial and technical innovation. Mercury has been created to help operators position themselves at the centre of the newly emerging mobile multimedia ecosystem. Operators, content providers and media companies can easily and rapidly launch new, advanced services using any number of multimedia bearers and tap a variety of new revenue streams. Through Mercury, operators are able to mobilize subscribers to use new multimedia services, increase data ARPU by monetizing this growing base and micro-personalize the offering to enhance the end-user experience and fight churn.

CURE CMO, Ardie Balderrama, believes Mercury will play a crucial role in supporting their roll out, "As a new operator, we are very conscious that we have an opportunity to avoid some of the problems experienced by existing operators. Customers will expect innovation and a high quality of service right from the start. Mercury will give us the means to deliver fast, relevant and highly differentiating multimedia services. It will give us technical and commercial advantages to compete effectively and profitably in our market."

The Mercury multimedia platform includes the world's most powerful mobile multimedia engine and a full spectrum of multimedia bearers for digital content access and delivery. This is tapped directly by media companies and content providers via a series of out-of-the-box multimedia compilation and distribution tools. End-user experience and quality-of-service guarantees are protected by a host of service support elements such as transcoding, malware-scanning, and automatic device detection & configuration.

This unrivalled performance, rich functionality and unlimited throughput site licensing means that 3ple-Media's Mercury is fast becoming synonymous with the very best of mobile multimedia innovation.

Here (http://newsblaze.com/story/2008050602404000001.we/newsblaze/BUSINESS/Business.html)

PLDT profit jumps 21% to P10.4B in Q1
By Mary Ann Ll. Reyes
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
http://philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=49&type=2&sec=27

Telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) registered a 21-percent rise in its consolidated net income to P10.4 billion during the first quarter of 2008, from P8.6 billion in the same period last year.

PLDT president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno said the company benefited from significant mark-to-market foreign exchange and derivative gains and a one-time gain of around P700 million arising from the designation as non-hedges of certain derivatives related to the company’s 2009, 2012 and 2017 bonds which had previously been designated as hedges.

Core net income, which strips out these exceptional items, rose to P9.3 billion in the first three months of 2008, 11 percent more than the P8.4 billion posted in the same period in 2007.

Consolidated service revenues increased six percent to P34.9 billion while group EBITDA (earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and EBITDA margin improved 7 percent (to P21.8 billion and to 63 percent, respectively.

Nazareno pointed out that the PLDT group’s debt balances are down to $1.6 billion. Net debt as at March 31, 2008 stood at $406 million (equivalent to $967 million if the P23.4 billion representing the common dividend payment due in April 2008 were deducted from outstanding cash balances). Effecting the same adjustment, net debt to EBITDA and net debt to equity ratios stood at 0.48 times and 0.41 times, respectively.

Consolidated free cash flow stood at P17.3 billion in the first quarter of 2008. PLDT’s capital expenditures were at P3.1 billion, with spending expected to accelerate as the company continues to build up capacity and coverage of its wireless and broadband networks aggressively.

Nazareno said the group’s capex this year is expected to reach P25.4 billion, of which 59 percent or P15.2 billion will be used for the wireless business; 36 percent or P8.8 billion for fixed line; and six percent or P1.4 billion for ICT.

“Capex this year, however, could be higher should cellular and broadband take-up expand. If the strong growth continues, we may have to revisit our capex plans,” he added.

Core net income for the whole of 2008 is projected at P37 billion, or five percent higher than last year’s. EBITDA is seen growing five percent to P87 billion while a seven to eight percent rise in service revenues to P145-P146 billion is expected in 2008.

In terms of capital management initiatives, PLDT plans to buy back up to two million of its common shares. As of April 18, the company has purchased 346,440 shares at a cost of P942 million. These shares will be held by PLDT as treasury shares.

Meanwhile, consolidated wireless service revenues rose to P22.5 billion for the first three months of 2008, eight percent higher than the P20.8 billion realized in the same period last year.

Total cellular subscriber base for the first quarter of 2008 continued to grow strongly as Smart Communications recorded net additions of approximately 280,000 subscribers and Talk ‘N

Text added about 1.25 million subscribers to end the period with 20.6 million and 11 million subscribers, respectively, or a total of 31.6 million subscribers.

As of end-April 2008, the PLDT Group’s cellular subscriber base had surpassed the 32-million mark.

“Despite the increasingly difficult economic environment, Smart sustained its strong subscriber numbers as we persevered with our efforts at finding creative solutions and meet our markets’ needs,” Nazareno said.

He said, the mobile SIM penetration rate now stands at 60 percent (national mobile subscriber base of 57 million). “We are looking at a 75 to 80 percent SIM penetration rate within the next two to three years.”

He also pointed out that with the first quarter subscriber take-up and that of April, “we are not seeing a slowdown in mobile subscriber take-up, although the growth rates may not be the same as before.”

Wireless broadband subscriber base (under the Smart Bro brand) grew 14 percent to reach 348,000 at end-March 2008. Wireless broadband revenues grew 122 percent to about P919 million during the period.

“The Internet is the new cellular and just as we have put the mobile phone in most people’s hands, so will we make the Internet accessible to all,’ Smart chief wireless adviser Orlando Vea pointed out.

Smart recently acquired PH Communications Holdings Corp. and Francom Holdings, Inc., which collectively own 100 percent of Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise (CURE), for P419.54 million. Smart is also investing up to P210 million in CURE, by subscribing to new company shares.

CURE is one of the four licensees awarded by the National Telecommunications Commission with a 3G frequency in December 2005. It was awarded an allocation of 10 Mhz in the 2100-Mhz band and expects to launch its commercial service in May this year.

Nazareno said the acquisition dovetails with Smart’s plan to provide expanded and enhanced 3G services nationwide, including higher speed wireless broadband services. “CURE is envisaged to provide Smart with a platform to offer and provide differentiated 3G services for targeted markets.”

He also emphasized that 3G usage in the country is gaining ground, as over 1.2 million 3G-enabled handsets in the Smart network has 500,000 regular users. “The usage for 3G broadband access for mobile Internet has also doubled this year,” PLDT’s chief executive pointed out.

The group is spending at least $30 million for 3G and wireless broadband this year.

Also yesterday, PLDT reported that its fixed line service revenues increased four percent to P12.4 billion in the first three months of 2008 from P11.9 billion last year as improvements in data revenues, both from corporate data and residential DSL services, were augmented by higher revenues in local exchange and national long distance.

Retail DSL continued to grow as broadband subscribers grew by over 35,000 to 300,000 at the end of the first quarter from 264,000 at the end of 2007. PLDT DSL generated P1.3 billion in revenues for the first three months of 2008, up 33 percent from P1 billion in the same period in 2007, accounting for 51 percent of the PLDT Group’s broadband and Internet revenues for the period.

Nazareno revealed that ePLDT, the group’s information and communications technology arm, reported service revenues of P2.6 billion for the first quarter of 2008, a six percent increase from the P2.4 billion recorded in the same period last year.

Despite the significant growth, ePLDT’s revenues were likewise adversely impacted by the appreciation of the peso. As a result of this impact and combined with higher operating expenses, ePLDT’s EBITDA margin for the first quarter of 2008 declined to 14 percent compared with 17 percent for the same period in 2007.

ePLDT president Ray Espinosa also revealed that plans for outsourcing unit SPi’s public listing this year have been postponed.

“There are two main reasons: first, market conditions are not so good. Second, we are struggling with our medical transcription business which needs to be turned around. There are some operational issues that need to be resolved,” he said.

NTC must protect competition
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
http://philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=49&type=2&sec=27&aid=2008050617

I did something momentous as 2007 ended. I gave up my extra PLDT phone line. I should have given it up a long time ago but I just couldn’t part with it. There must have been this subconscious feeling in me that viewed that phone like a cherished trophy because it took me so long to get it. It is stupid in this new era of cell phones and easy connectivity but what can I say, I am a child of the 50s.

For a while I justified having that extra PLDT phone line on the DSL connected through it. I could have shifted the DSL to the other line (in my wife’s name) but I did nothing, maybe because of that subconscious attachment… One day, I finally gave up on PLDT’s DSL service in my neighborhood (legacy copper lines equals bad surfing experience) and signed on another telco. I simply can’t pay an extra thousand a month for sentiment.

My wife went to the PLDT business office and returned the phone and DSL equipment as we served PLDT our notice of disconnection. PLDT continued to bill us four months after, threatening to disconnect our disconnected phone. Silly… this phone company!

My wife went back to the business office to ask what’s going on. She was told to ignore the billing and the disconnection notice. They blamed their less than adequate accounting and computerized billing system. I can understand. I gave up on their customer service too. Sometimes, even an e-mailed complaint to MVP provided no relief. PLDT took me for granted so it lost me as a customer. I now have a choice and I exercised it.

I relate this little personal story to drive the point that it is great to live in this day when there are choices. Today’s generation do not know how lucky they are that they can no longer be abused by service providers like PLDT who in the past, made us wait decades just to have an ordinary land line.

But let me qualify that… every time I write about PLDT’s service, I get inundated with complaints. It seems, PLDT still abuses customers and that’s because it is big and there are times when a customer’s ability to exercise choice isn’t as apparent. PLDT’s size simply intimidates.

Still, many of us specially here in Metro Manila, now want to believe that the telco business has become highly competitive. In reality, it is less competitive than we think. PLDT and Smart, its cell phone unit, can and do bully competitors. They can and will crush competitors if NTC allows them. They can screw up smaller rivals by refusing to provide the right quality of interconnection needed. Or, they can use the regulatory agency to allow them to get an unfair advantage.

I was for instance, surprised to learn that NTC allowed Piltel (PLDT’s original cell phone unit) to quietly convert its analog license into 3G instead of requiring Piltel to return it. Thus, even before Smart bought CURE, it already had two 3G licenses with their corresponding sets of frequencies. Now, Smart will have 3 against 1 each for Globe and Sun. Talk of an Unlevel Playing Field!

It would thus seem that NTC, as the industry’s regulator, is failing to regulate. It is allowing what looks like a competitive market to deteriorate into a near monopoly again for PLDT. Actually, if the NTC is naturally inclined to be unfair, it should tilt the balance in favor of the smaller competitors of PLDT because as the long time monopoly, PLDT already enjoys established advantages. The competitors need time to catch up to develop their capabilities and grow their markets to provide real competition.

It is a constant battle and hopefully, the NTC understands the importance of supporting competition in our telco market. If given half a chance, PLDT and Smart would do their best to re-establish monopoly regimes. They tried to do it in the Fort Bonifacio area and almost succeeded.

Luckily, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez ruled that the Constitution prohibits any carrier from claiming exclusivity in the operation of public utilities within any given service area. Gonzalez reiterated that “the Global City is a ‘free zone’ within which all enfranchised public telecommunications entities so authorized by the NTC can provide high-speed networks and communications connectivity.”

Hopefully, MVP, who pays lip service to the need for a competitive environment, accepts the Gonzalez ruling as it is. The wonders of the digital world can thrive best and serve us best in a competitive environment. The NTC must make sure freedom of choice in the telecom industry will never be curtailed because of its failure to protect meaningful competition in a level playing field.

It would be quite tragic if my grandchildren end up experiencing what I experienced when I was growing up… a time when there was no choice but to suffer the only telco player there was.

Secret NTC deals?
http://philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=49&type=2&sec=27&aid=2008050618

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) better come up with a good explanation, and fast.

The telco industry is worried by reports that the NTC has been secretly granting Liberty Broadcasting Network Inc. (LBNI), a company under court receivership since 2005, certain broadband frequencies when everyone else is lining up for these very valuable assets.

Among the first to demand an explanation is Lopez-owned Bayan Communications which has asked the government to further strengthen the regulatory environment in the telecommunications industry by instituting stricter measures against the grant of new broadband network licenses.

LBNI, being under rehabilitation, obviously does not have the financial capability to operate a broadband network. All its assets have been attached by its creditors. The company has not been operating.

During the recent Kapihan sa Sulo Hotel, John Rojo, Bayan’s director for corporate branding says that though they welcome competition, urged the NTC to be very cautious in granting broadband network licenses to new entrants.

Bayan, along with PLDT and Globe, are worried. Frequencies are scarce resources. These should be granted by the NTC only to those who can show beyond doubt that they are in a position to best utilize these frequencies for the good of the consumers.

According to Rojo, Bayan will appeal the grant of the license to Liberty Communications before the NTC in the next few days.

Just recently, we reported that the Regional Trial Court of Makati has asked the NTC to inform the court of any disposition, reallocation, or assignment of frequencies made by LBNI, Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc. and Skyphone Logistics Inc. made from Aug. 15, 2007 up to the present, as well as to inform it whether the court “whether there is such a confidential nature of the frequencies assigned to said three companies.”

Apparently, former NTC Commissioner Abesamis last year granted to LBNI certain frequencies (2540-2545 MHz, 2580-2595 MHz, 2535-2540 MHz, and 2565-2580 MHz) as shown by two NTC letters to LBNI dated June 26 and 28, 2007. However, the logbook of the frequency management department (FMD) does not show that an application was received for the said assignments, not were these frequencies found in the FMD database.

Because there was no way to truly account for the frequencies that LBNI has, the NTC has not prepared a listing of the frequencies assigned to LBNI.

The court now wants to find out if there is truth to reports that the grant of these frequencies to LBNI and its owner Raymund Moreno was “confidential in nature,” as well as certain claims that these frequencies are being resold by LBNI to certain telcos with the blessings of NTC.

This, LBNI cannot do legally because to do so would be tantamount to defrauding its creditors to which it owes at least P1.4 billion.

Why would former Commissioner Abesamis allocate valuable broadband wireless access (BWA) frequencies to a company which obviously does not have the financial and technical capability to provide telecommunications services to the public?

The bigger question now is: What has the present NTC management done about this?

Globe to carry iPhone.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/12/singtel-ropes-iphone-distro-in-singapore-india-australia-and/

Singapore Telecommunications (aka SingTel) announced that it's secured agreements to distribute the iPhone in Singapore (on SingTel Mobile) and its partly-owned subsidiaries in Australia (on Optus), India (on Bharti Group), and the Philippines (on Globe Telecom). Vodafone's also distributing the iPhone in India and Australia though, so we'll have to wait until later this year to find out who gets to shoot first.

http://www.bworldonline.com/BW051308/content.php?id=005

Globe bags iPhone deal

BusinessWorld
May 13, 2008
Marian Grace S. Ramos

GADGET FANATICS will no longer need to depend on the grey market to get Apple’s much-hyped iPhone as Ayala-led Globe Telecom, Inc. has bagged a deal to bring it to Philippines before the end of the year.

The firm, in a statement posted on its Web site, said "Globe, SingTel, Bharti Airtel and Optus ... have signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to the Philippines, Singapore, India, and Australia later this year."

No other details were provided. Initial news came via a wire report announcing SingTel’s securing the iPhone contract.

It was not known whether the deal would be exclusive to Globe, as some reports have indicated that Apple was veering away from its initial marketing strategy. In the case of India, for example, Vodafone earlier this month said it would also be offering the device in there.

A Globe official who requested anonymity said the deal would most likely be exclusive to the Ayala telco.

"It is like any other phones running in our network, but the difference is, it has a niche market, which is high-end. A lot of people have been asking about it and now if they want to avail of it they would not need to go abroad anymore. They just go to Globe," the official told I]BusinessWorld[/I].

"We are going to roll it out in the fourth quarter we are just doing the necessary preparations in marketing strategies and technical as well," he said.

The official declined to provide more details, especially with respect to pricing.

The iPhone is already widely available in Metro Manila, retailing at around P22,500 for the eight-gigabyte model and P26,000-27,000 for the 16-gigabyte version. The units are modified via software to allow them to recognize local subscriber identity module cards issued by domestic telcos.

Analysts said the deal would be beneficial for Globe, boosting revenues from a niche market of consumers looking for high-end devices.

"[The] impact on subscriber market share for Globe would be insignificant but higher revenue is expected from the new product and service offering of the iPhone," said Benedict M. Ferrer, senior analyst at Canada-based IT research and consultancy firm XMG, Inc.

"Globe’s positioning with the iPhone is to target a very niche market, which consists of high-end consumer driven by the need to connect and emphasize their lifestyle," Mr. Ferrer said.

"Such service is indeed costly, but consumers are still willing to pay provided that they see a clear value with the iPhone and the features are maximized."

First Metro Securities Brokerage Corp. analyst Jan Michael B. Acebo, meanwhile, said "That (the iPhone) would be a positive development for Globe as they would be the sole network offering the unit, but the crucial thing is capturing a sizeable market."

"The increase in subscriber base would not be that big, considering the bulk of the consumer market is the lower income segment, but even if the target is smaller, their purchasing power is bigger and that should drive earnings," he added.

http://www.bworldonline.com/BW051308/content.php?id=005

Globe bags iPhone deal

BusinessWorld
May 13, 2008
Marian Grace S. Ramos

GADGET FANATICS will no longer need to depend on the grey market to get Apple’s much-hyped iPhone as Ayala-led Globe Telecom, Inc. has bagged a deal to bring it to Philippines before the end of the year.

The firm, in a statement posted on its Web site, said "Globe, SingTel, Bharti Airtel and Optus ... have signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to the Philippines, Singapore, India, and Australia later this year."

No other details were provided. Initial news came via a wire report announcing SingTel’s securing the iPhone contract.

It was not known whether the deal would be exclusive to Globe, as some reports have indicated that Apple was veering away from its initial marketing strategy. In the case of India, for example, Vodafone earlier this month said it would also be offering the device in there.

A Globe official who requested anonymity said the deal would most likely be exclusive to the Ayala telco.

"It is like any other phones running in our network, but the difference is, it has a niche market, which is high-end. A lot of people have been asking about it and now if they want to avail of it they would not need to go abroad anymore. They just go to Globe," the official told I]BusinessWorld[/I].

"We are going to roll it out in the fourth quarter we are just doing the necessary preparations in marketing strategies and technical as well," he said.

The official declined to provide more details, especially with respect to pricing.

The iPhone is already widely available in Metro Manila, retailing at around P22,500 for the eight-gigabyte model and P26,000-27,000 for the 16-gigabyte version. The units are modified via software to allow them to recognize local subscriber identity module cards issued by domestic telcos.

Analysts said the deal would be beneficial for Globe, boosting revenues from a niche market of consumers looking for high-end devices.

"[The] impact on subscriber market share for Globe would be insignificant but higher revenue is expected from the new product and service offering of the iPhone," said Benedict M. Ferrer, senior analyst at Canada-based IT research and consultancy firm XMG, Inc.

"Globe’s positioning with the iPhone is to target a very niche market, which consists of high-end consumer driven by the need to connect and emphasize their lifestyle," Mr. Ferrer said.

"Such service is indeed costly, but consumers are still willing to pay provided that they see a clear value with the iPhone and the features are maximized."

First Metro Securities Brokerage Corp. analyst Jan Michael B. Acebo, meanwhile, said "That (the iPhone) would be a positive development for Globe as they would be the sole network offering the unit, but the crucial thing is capturing a sizeable market."

"The increase in subscriber base would not be that big, considering the bulk of the consumer market is the lower income segment, but even if the target is smaller, their purchasing power is bigger and that should drive earnings," he added.

The days of those hackers are now counted! Good job! Thanks! :okay:

^^

Well.....another toy for the rich....

Re: iPHONE


I just hope that GLOBE TELECOM won't hype the iPhone here in the Philippines by doubling or even tripling its value. They say that their market is "high end."

iPHONEs are priced at an average of $250 in the market now so GLOBE should sell these so-called iPHONEs at only P10,500 here in the Philippines and not P25-30,000 just to satisfy the so-called high end market.




...

Re: iPHONE


I just hope that GLOBE TELECOM won't hype the iPhone here in the Philippines by doubling or even tripling its value. They say that their market is "high end."

iPHONEs are priced at an average of $250 in the market now so GLOBE should sell these so-called iPHONEs at only P10,500 here in the Philippines and not P25-30,000 just to satisfy the so-called high end market.




...
iphone here in New Zealand is $1000 = 20K+ pesos

http://businessmirror.com.ph/05202008/companies04.html

New Smart unit to offer ad-funded mobile brand
By Lenie Lectura
BusinessMirror
May 20, 2008

NEWLY acquired Smart subsidiary Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise (CURE) yesterday launched ümobile, the first ad-funded mobile-phone service in Asia. Commercial launch is set on June 1, officials said.

CURE chief marketing officer Ardie Balderrama said the cellular firm, the newest player in the telco market, will compete with other mobile-phone firms by giving out free load credits to subscribers who receive advertisements via their 2G- (second-generation) or 3G-enabled handsets.

“For our subscribers, it will be like earning money by watching commercials on television or viewing print ads in newspapers and magazines, except they will do it through their ümobile phones,” said Balderrama. CURE is a licensed 3G operator in the country.

CURE will partner with corporations that wish to advertise or create mobile-based campaigns for a particular brand. A portion of the revenues generated from a brand’s mobile-marketing campaigns will be given back to the subscribers who can purchase or make transactions for ümobile services or avail themselves of a brand’s product offer, such as freebies, discounts and other rewards.

CURE sales head Noli Romualdez said the company is set to partner with five to 10 companies prior to the commercial launch of ümobile. “We are in advance talks with them. They are all very interested about it. They are in the food business, beauty products, and goods and services businesses, and even financial institutions,” he said.

ümobile will focus on a niche market composed of men and women aged 15 to 35. Forty-five percent of the population belongs to this age segment, where brand preference and loyalty is built.

Subscription will be by-invitation and only around 10,000 subscribers are expected every month. Subscribers accepted into the service from June to August will get P100 worth of prepaid load every month for six months. On top of that, every ad message they view on their ümobile phone earns them rewards in the form of free load, text messages, data minutes, etc.

Additional freebies will be given based on their participation in mobile- marketing campaigns by advertisers in the ümobile network.

“Through ümobile, we offer advertisers the opportunity to tap into their emerging marketing medium where they can directly target the consumers they want to reach. We’ll know if our subscribers go to the gym, what movies they watch, what kind of music they listen to, among other things, and this will allow to cater to the prime prospects of our advertisers,” said Balderrama.

By the end of this year, CURE expects it would register up to 100,000 subscribers.

While other mobile-phone operators have their versions of unlimited voice and text messaging services, CURE’s business model is anchored on bringing together brands and consumers closer via mobile-phone services. “This is how CURE will compete in the mobile telco arena,” added Balderrama.

ümobile will ride on the network of Smart Communications Inc., the cellular unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT). CURE has already forged interconnection agreements with the PLDT group, which means that CURE subscribers can call and send text messages to Smart and Piltel cellular subscribers, PLDT landline users and vice versa.

CURE will pay Smart for the use of the latter’s network. Balderrama did not reveal details of the commercial arrangement between the two networks. “Our coverage within Metro Manila is only 30 cellular sites. Outside of Metro Manila, we will tap on Smart’s network,” he added.

CURE is confident that it will ink similar interconnection deals with Globe Telecom, Sun Cellular and Bayan Telecommunications Inc. prior to the commercial launch.

Smart recently purchased the entire issued and outstanding capital stocks of PH Communications Holdings Corp. and Francom Holdings, Inc. (FHI) in CURE for the total amount of P419.54 million. PH Communications used to own 96.57 percent of CURE while FHI had 3.43 percent stake in the 3G firm. Both were controlled by an investor group led by businessman Roberto Ongpin.

Smart said it intends to directly invest up to P210 million in CURE, in the form of subscriptions for new shares. The fresh funds will be used for working capital.

http://businessmirror.com.ph/05202008/companies04.html

New Smart unit to offer ad-funded mobile brand
By Lenie Lectura
BusinessMirror
May 20, 2008

NEWLY acquired Smart subsidiary Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise (CURE) yesterday launched ümobile, the first ad-funded mobile-phone service in Asia. Commercial launch is set on June 1, officials said.

CURE chief marketing officer Ardie Balderrama said the cellular firm, the newest player in the telco market, will compete with other mobile-phone firms by giving out free load credits to subscribers who receive advertisements via their 2G- (second-generation) or 3G-enabled handsets.

“For our subscribers, it will be like earning money by watching commercials on television or viewing print ads in newspapers and magazines, except they will do it through their ümobile phones,” said Balderrama. CURE is a licensed 3G operator in the country.

CURE will partner with corporations that wish to advertise or create mobile-based campaigns for a particular brand. A portion of the revenues generated from a brand’s mobile-marketing campaigns will be given back to the subscribers who can purchase or make transactions for ümobile services or avail themselves of a brand’s product offer, such as freebies, discounts and other rewards.

CURE sales head Noli Romualdez said the company is set to partner with five to 10 companies prior to the commercial launch of ümobile. “We are in advance talks with them. They are all very interested about it. They are in the food business, beauty products, and goods and services businesses, and even financial institutions,” he said.

ümobile will focus on a niche market composed of men and women aged 15 to 35. Forty-five percent of the population belongs to this age segment, where brand preference and loyalty is built.

Subscription will be by-invitation and only around 10,000 subscribers are expected every month. Subscribers accepted into the service from June to August will get P100 worth of prepaid load every month for six months. On top of that, every ad message they view on their ümobile phone earns them rewards in the form of free load, text messages, data minutes, etc.

Additional freebies will be given based on their participation in mobile- marketing campaigns by advertisers in the ümobile network.

“Through ümobile, we offer advertisers the opportunity to tap into their emerging marketing medium where they can directly target the consumers they want to reach. We’ll know if our subscribers go to the gym, what movies they watch, what kind of music they listen to, among other things, and this will allow to cater to the prime prospects of our advertisers,” said Balderrama.

By the end of this year, CURE expects it would register up to 100,000 subscribers.

While other mobile-phone operators have their versions of unlimited voice and text messaging services, CURE’s business model is anchored on bringing together brands and consumers closer via mobile-phone services. “This is how CURE will compete in the mobile telco arena,” added Balderrama.

ümobile will ride on the network of Smart Communications Inc., the cellular unit of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT). CURE has already forged interconnection agreements with the PLDT group, which means that CURE subscribers can call and send text messages to Smart and Piltel cellular subscribers, PLDT landline users and vice versa.

CURE will pay Smart for the use of the latter’s network. Balderrama did not reveal details of the commercial arrangement between the two networks. “Our coverage within Metro Manila is only 30 cellular sites. Outside of Metro Manila, we will tap on Smart’s network,” he added.

CURE is confident that it will ink similar interconnection deals with Globe Telecom, Sun Cellular and Bayan Telecommunications Inc. prior to the commercial launch.

Smart recently purchased the entire issued and outstanding capital stocks of PH Communications Holdings Corp. and Francom Holdings, Inc. (FHI) in CURE for the total amount of P419.54 million. PH Communications used to own 96.57 percent of CURE while FHI had 3.43 percent stake in the 3G firm. Both were controlled by an investor group led by businessman Roberto Ongpin.

Smart said it intends to directly invest up to P210 million in CURE, in the form of subscriptions for new shares. The fresh funds will be used for working capital.

Friendster targets mobile phone users in RP (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=118852)

After conquering the social networking market in the Philippines, social networking pioneer Friendster is now setting its sights on mobile phone users in the country.

Friendster USA vice-president for marketing David Jones said the company is now branching out into the mobile social networking market with the launch of its new mobile site m.friendster.com on Tuesday.

Jones said Friendster's popularity in the Philippines and the Filipinos' high usage of mobile phones makes it the perfect test market for the company's mobile site. He said 94 percent of Internet users in the Philippines have a Friendster account, making the company the number one social networking site in the country.

"For mobile, the Philippines is definitely a big market especially being one of the more mobile connected countries in the world and having the highest SMS usage per subscriber anywhere. In terms of e-commerce, that's still coming along here as well as Asia in general. We hope to work with partners through the developer program to introduce applications to our members that involve e-commerce," he told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

He said small and medium sized business could sign up and build a fan profile on Friendster and promote it in the local Friendster community.

Jones said m.friendster.com can be accessed through any mobile phone with Internet browsing capability. He said regular Friendster users can browse the site to search for users, check their profile pages and read messages including friend invites, shoutouts and even horoscopes. He added that the service is currently open only to existing Friendster users but will soon allow non-users to open their own Friendster account via mobile phone.

Jones said the success of Web portal qq.com in China shows the feasibility of entering the potentially lucrative mobile market. He said the portal had $523 million in revenues last year, 13 percent of which came from advertising. At least 63 percent of its earnings came from Internet value added services while the remaining 24 percent came from mobile services.

He said that in Indonesia, many Friendster users also access the site through their mobile phones.

Number 1 social networking site in Asia

Jones said the success of Friendster in Asia, particularly in the Philippines, stems from the strong familial culture of Asians. He said that some of Friendster's first users when it started in 2003 were Chinese and Filipino immigrants in the San Francisco Bay area who were seeking to connect with friends and relatives back home.

"Filipinos are very family oriented, a very social people and Friendster is hopefully doing a job of getting them connected," he said.

He said Friendster is currently ranked the third most popular social networking site in the world with over 68 million registered users. It is still the number 1 social networking site in Asia with over 50 million registered users and 34 monthly unique visitors.

Jones said Friendster users in Asia are primarily 16-30 years old. Fifty-five percent of Friendster users in the region are female and the rest are male.

Friendster is also offered in eight languages including Vietnamese and Chinese.

DOTC wants SMS to be free (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080522135)

The government will be prodding telecommunications companies to no longer charge users for text messaging service since this is supposed to be free under their public franchises, officials said yesterday.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza said a petition will be filed before the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to compel the telecommunications firms to make the short messaging system (SMS) or “text messaging” free.

The Philippines is considered the text messaging capital of the world as Filipinos send hundreds of millions of text messages a day owing to promotions and gimmicks by mobile phone companies such as unlimited text messaging, and increasing subscriber base, reports said.

Mobile phone subscribers are expected to reach over 50 million by yearend through carriers like Globe Telecom, Smart and Sun Cellular.

Since physical infrastructure of landlines remains inadequate and mobile phone units are relatively cheap, text messaging has been the main form of communication even among poor families.

A single text message costs anywhere from P1 to P2.50.

Mendoza said if the petition before the NTC bears fruit, the cost of mobile communications will go down significantly.

“We are studying this now. Carriers should only charge for voice calls because in their franchise, they only pay for voice services. Text messaging is not really considered a service and should be free,” Mendoza said.

In Memorandum Circular No. 8-9-95, the NTC classified SMS as “value-added service” or “enhanced service” provided by telecommunications firms.

He admitted that the move would be controversial and would be strongly opposed by industry players.

“This will be a long battle. But for the DOTC, we believe that texting should be free, the Philippines currently has one of the highest rates in cellular phones in Asia,” he said.

Has anybody here used the Smart Bro wireless pre-paid broadband modem? I'm used to having an internet connection wherever i go in the UK. But whenever i go to the Philippines, i'm always wanting to get connected. yes i know there are net cafes and the occasional wi-fi hotspot spread around but i spend a lot of time going from place to place, and most hotels i stay in don't offer any internet facilities or connections(apart from Plantation Bay in Cebu, Bohol Beach Club and Paras Resort in Camiguin which all had wi-fi).

This little gadget seems ok, but before i fork out money for it on my next trip home(next March), i just wanted to hear some opinions on it, any feedback is appreciated.

http://smart.com.ph/NR/rdonlyres/34E4A059-E80B-462A-B5CC-F5865D8779FE/6818/SmartBroFront1.jpg

^^ the smart bro depends on the smart network signal., :) so if the place you're going to has no/little signal., then good luck on getting a decent connection., :)

pre-paid smart bro is a little bit expensive that the post paid version...

Gloria is indeed an evil genius...first she goes against Meralco--a company owned by her staunch critics, the Lopezes--and now she's eying the prospect of making text messaging free, under the guise of public service, in apparently another campaign against her enemies who run the huge telecom companies...indeed, no one can be her equal <evil laugh> :lol:

* * *

my 2 cents on free text messaging? i say it's bu*l-cr*p...house speaker Nograles could be quoted saying that it was because "sa hirap ng panahon ngayon"...well, kung naghihirap na talaga, eh di wag mag-text...im no expert, but i could bet my head that 90% or more of the text messages exchanged via the local networks are all nonsense jokes, love-quotes, and sweet nothings...a total waste of precious pesos and airtime if you ask me...

since many filipinos claim to be poor, then they should act like it...text ng text, kape ng kape, hit-hit ng hit-hit ng yosi, wala namang laman ang tiyan...

Gloria is indeed an evil genius...first she goes against Meralco--a company owned by her staunch critics, the Lopezes--and now she's eying the prospect of making text messaging free, under the guise of public service, in apparently another campaign against her enemies who run the huge telecom companies...indeed, no one can be her equal <evil laugh> :lol:

* * *

my 2 cents on free text messaging? i say it's bu*l-cr*p...house speaker Nograles could be quoted saying that it was because "sa hirap ng panahon ngayon"...well, kung naghihirap na talaga, eh di wag mag-text...im no expert, but i could bet my head that 90% or more of the text messages exchanged via the local networks are all nonsense jokes, love-quotes, and sweet nothings...a total waste of precious pesos and airtime if you ask me...

since many filipinos claim to be poor, then they should act like it...text ng text, kape ng kape, hit-hit ng hit-hit ng yosi, wala namang laman ang tiyan...

Kung gusto nating bumaba ang presyo ng kuryente e tanggalin natin ang monopolyo ng Meralco para may kakumpitensya sila. Just like Ermita said, competition keeps prices down.

Free text messaging? I am not agreeing with it not because wala akong ka-text but because may mamumulubi kapag ginawa ito. Oo gusto ko siyang bumaba pero still, may karapatan pa rin ang mga cellphone companies sa pera ko sa tuwing may ilalabas akong text. Naku po kapag naaprubahan iyan, magiging national hobby na ng mga Pilipino ang tsismis.

'Telcos won't lose money with free SMS' (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=119496)


Telecommunications companies (telcos) will benefit from the proposal to cut charges on text messaging or short message service (SMS), an official of the Department of Transportation and Communications said Monday.

"I think the [telecommunications] industry will grow if [text messaging] service will be offered for free," DOTC spokesman Thompson Lantion told ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda."

Lantion added that the 27 million Filipino cellular phone users who pay for text messaging would surely avail of more telco services if SMS will be offered to the public for free.

The DOTC official, however, clarified that the proposal to file a petition on removing SMS charges is not yet final. He said the proposal's pros and cons are still being studied by a technical working group formed by Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

He said another subject of the study is to determine how telcos will maintain its profits in the mobile industry.

Lantion said initial findings of the group showed that the government is receiving payment from telcos only from their voice or mobile phone call charges.

He said the proposal will also be presented before the telcos so that they will be able to come up with a better way of cutting SMS charges.

"All stakeholders should be consulted. The technical working group is seriously looking at all the issues," he said.

Last week, Mendoza announced before the media that telcos should not charge mobile phone users for text messaging.

"Carriers should only charge for voice calls because in their franchise, they only pay for voice services," the DOTC secretary said.

He said DOTC will file the petition before the National Telecommunications Commission.

Mendoza said he expects "a long battle" with the telcos.

pre-paid smart bro is a little bit expensive that the post paid version...

I only need the pre-paid for 5-6 weeks. I need constant access to my work emails as my BlackBerry service doesn't work too well at times in the Philippines when on roaming.

b'z2;21089107"]'Telcos won't lose money with free SMS' (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=119496)


Telecommunications companies (telcos) will benefit from the proposal to cut charges on text messaging or short message service (SMS), an official of the Department of Transportation and Communications said Monday.

"I think the [telecommunications] industry will grow if [text messaging] service will be offered for free," DOTC spokesman Thompson Lantion told ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda."

Lantion added that the 27 million Filipino cellular phone users who pay for text messaging would surely avail of more telco services if SMS will be offered to the public for free.

The DOTC official, however, clarified that the proposal to file a petition on removing SMS charges is not yet final. He said the proposal's pros and cons are still being studied by a technical working group formed by Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

He said another subject of the study is to determine how telcos will maintain its profits in the mobile industry.

Lantion said initial findings of the group showed that the government is receiving payment from telcos only from their voice or mobile phone call charges.

He said the proposal will also be presented before the telcos so that they will be able to come up with a better way of cutting SMS charges.

"All stakeholders should be consulted. The technical working group is seriously looking at all the issues," he said.

Last week, Mendoza announced before the media that telcos should not charge mobile phone users for text messaging.

"Carriers should only charge for voice calls because in their franchise, they only pay for voice services," the DOTC secretary said.

He said DOTC will file the petition before the National Telecommunications Commission.

Mendoza said he expects "a long battle" with the telcos.

Gusto kong bumaba ang halaga ng text pero ayokong maging libre ito. Dito pa nga lang, tsismis na face-to-face nagiging sanhi na ng mga lumilipad ng mga plato, yung text-based tsismis pa kaya na kumalat na sa Pilipinas bago pa ako makarating ng Nueva Ecija? And to think na hindi mo malalaman minsan kung sino ang nagpadala sa iyo niyan...

May tenga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita ...kasabihan sa TAGALOG




GSM originated from EUROPE
CDMA originated from NORTH AMERICA
PHS Originally from JAPAN

Global System for Mobile Communication
Code Division Multiple Access
Personal Handy-Phone System


ERMES European Radio Paging
POCSAG British PO

Ubuntu OS from South Africa
TurboLinux LINUX from JAPAN

ssc browser -— Google Yahoo Microsoft inspired browser inda Pinas


:cheers: :cheers1: :cheers2:

May tenga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita ...kasabihan sa TAGALOG




GSM originated from EUROPE
CDMA originated from NORTH AMERICA
PHS Originally from JAPAN

Global System for Mobile Communication
Code Division Multiple Access
Personal Handy-Phone System


ERMES European Radio Paging
POCSAG British PO

Ubuntu OS from South Africa
TurboLinux LINUX from JAPAN

ssc browser -— Google Yahoo Microsoft inspired browser inda Pinas


:cheers: :cheers1: :cheers2:

Mayroon yata po tayong sariling linux ditro kuya... kung wala po, bakit hindi po tayo gumawa ng sariling atin?

Sana i-raid lahat yang mga cellphone tiangge na yan! My brother bought a cellphone there to be used as a spare phone for his Sun SIM. After a week, it wasn't functioning anymore. He had it checked and found out that it is only reconditoned. It doesn't have NTC seal too. :ohno: He came back to the cellphone stall and he couldn't the seller anymore.

Also, I was at a cellphone stand at Buendia few days ago & I noticed some Globe SIM cards sold at P100 well in fact, it is only P45. (nakalagay pa mismo sa cover, minarkahan lang ng Pentel pen). What's wrong with these people? It's really better to buy cellphone and these stuff in the malls.

Free texts will cause systems crash, says solon (http://www.asianjournal.com/?c=186&a=28126)

MANILA, Philippines -- If texting were free, systems would crash and the service would deteriorate, lawmakers warned Monday.

Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago said free text messaging would swamp the networks of the telecommunications companies (telcos) and lead to “recurring system crashes.”

He pointed out that massive networks backed by computer electronic systems had capacity limitations. If telcos were to expand capacity, this would require additional investment.

“We wish free texting is possible, but realistically it isn’t,” the former chair of the National Telecommunications Commission said in a statement.

Santiago also said he was not aware of any country where texting was free.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza had proposed to service providers to make the short message system, or SMS, free of charge, a move backed by Malacañang and Speaker Prospero Nograles.

Senior Deputy Minority Leader Roilo Golez agreed with Santiago, but argued that making SMS free would lead to a deterioration of the service.

“If we reduce the rates, or make it free, the profit incentive in a free enterprise economy is removed as intended by DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications). The telco service might deteriorate and the public would gravely suffer,” Golez said.

Instead of fixing something that “ain’t broke,” the DOTC should focus its attention on the “medieval, always late, frequently unreliable transport sector,” he said.

Santiago, chair of the House committee on information and communications technology, also warned that free SMS would lead to a deluge of “junk” messages from companies, entrepreneurs and even politicians advertising themselves.

“With free texting, everyone can advertise through unsolicited messages. This includes every politician seeking self-promotion,” he said.

( www.inquirer.net )


siyempre lalaban talaga ang telcos para hindi maging libre ang pagpapadala ng SMS :)

pansin ko lang...
halos libre na ang pagpadala ng SMS dito sa 'tin, what with the proliferation of free SMS promos by telcos.
maliban na lang sa ibang tao na sobrang daming SMS ang pinapadala oras-oras (minu-minuto? :)
ang hindi lang free talaga ay yong mga value added service na tinatawag---like the various raffles/contests made via SMS...

Mauuso lang patayan sa Pilipinas kapag naging libre ang text? Why, kasi magiging pambansang libangan na ng mga Pilipino ang tsismis na pinapadala via text... tama?

ok na siguro yung free text para sa mga business or work. pero for personal use, wag naman. puro padala ng quotes, jokes, etc. ang aatupagin ng mga walang magawa.

Hellow Guys i think this not so much related to the topic but i want to ask what is the best Cellular Phone to Catch Up Picture and Video at affordable Price? could you give the unit and the initial price or actual price in the market? anyone who can reply to my post! thanks anyway!

mine is a sony ericsson k850i.
with a 5 megapixel camera.

17k just a couple of months ago

Hellow Guys i think this not so much related to the topic but i want to ask what is the best Cellular Phone to Catch Up Picture and Video at affordable Price? could you give the unit and the initial price or actual price in the market? anyone who can reply to my post! thanks anyway!

Sony ericsson K800 & K850
N73, N95

iPhone na para masaya, if you are willing to pay P 20,000+...

b'z2;21089107"]'Telcos won't lose money with free SMS' (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=119496)


Telecommunications companies (telcos) will benefit from the proposal to cut charges on text messaging or short message service (SMS), an official of the Department of Transportation and Communications said Monday.

"I think the [telecommunications] industry will grow if [text messaging] service will be offered for free," DOTC spokesman Thompson Lantion told ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda."

Lantion added that the 27 million Filipino cellular phone users who pay for text messaging would surely avail of more telco services if SMS will be offered to the public for free.

The DOTC official, however, clarified that the proposal to file a petition on removing SMS charges is not yet final. He said the proposal's pros and cons are still being studied by a technical working group formed by Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

He said another subject of the study is to determine how telcos will maintain its profits in the mobile industry.

Lantion said initial findings of the group showed that the government is receiving payment from telcos only from their voice or mobile phone call charges.

He said the proposal will also be presented before the telcos so that they will be able to come up with a better way of cutting SMS charges.

"All stakeholders should be consulted. The technical working group is seriously looking at all the issues," he said.

Last week, Mendoza announced before the media that telcos should not charge mobile phone users for text messaging.

"Carriers should only charge for voice calls because in their franchise, they only pay for voice services," the DOTC secretary said.

He said DOTC will file the petition before the National Telecommunications Commission.

Mendoza said he expects "a long battle" with the telcos.

these people are sick...instead of trying to make pa-pogi to the masa by lobbying for free text, they should instead focus their efforts on issues that really matter

Not to mention mapapadalas pa ang street violence dahil sa tsismis galing sa text...

Quotes, jokes and other spam texts are annoying sometimes. Mas ok pa rin pag may control. Ibigay na lang ang free texts sa businessmen and/or companies.

Quotes, jokes and other spam texts are annoying sometimes. Mas ok pa rin pag may control. Ibigay na lang ang free texts sa businessmen and/or companies.

Free text dapat sa mahihirap kasi sila ang hindi makapagbayad kuya...

^^^^ Asus. Mahirap daw. E bakit nakakapag-paload dito sa amin ng 20? 30? Minsan pa nga 500 eh. Ano yung sinasabing mahirap sila? Mga pa-feeling rich kasi niloloadan yung mga ka-text kuno. Sino ngayon ang mahirap?

There’s no free lunch (http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=peterWallace_may30_2008)

What an absurd idea: “Government moves to make texting free.” Whatever happened to the free market, the open economy, that the President promised as part of her fundamental policy?

Last week, I suggested (tongue in cheek) that beer might be next to be subsidized. I never thought I’d be taken seriously, but here we are suggesting we don’t pay for texts. Maybe beer really will be next, maybe it’s not just a joke.

Let me be absolutely blunt about this, if you make texting free you can forget this country. Indeed, nothing will be safe from a predatory government. Who knows what will be next.

Economics 101 tells you that in an open economy you pay for what you use. That’s the whole beauty of the capitalist system, it’s why it’s become the universal system worldwide. Controlled economies have collapsed one after the other as having someone else think they know best what to do has failed, and failed miserably. Go visit Myanmar or North Korea some time where I’ll bet there are no cell phones, or countrywide cell phone systems

The President, with her doctorate in economics, must put a stop to this nonsense immediately. I think Secretary Leandro Mendoza must have been badly advised, and he should fire that advisor immediately. I suspect it was an off-the-cuff remark he made and have no doubt, once he considers it further, he’ll realize how impractical and damaging it would be.

If, by some peculiar quirk the franchise doesn’t allow charging of text messages, why was it only found out now? If the franchise doesn’t allow it, then change the law—to allow it. And do it fast.

I hate clichés, but don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Because that’s what you’ll do if you open this Pandora’s box.

The telecom industry has been a star in the Philippine economy. Some 66 percent of all Filipinos now have phones, where back in the bad old regulated days of PLDT only 1 percent had a phone at all. Government earns 24 billion in taxes a year from the cell phone companies, around 50 percent of their revenue comes from texting. So government would lose about P12 billion a year in taxes, something they can ill afford to do.

And don’t, for a minute, think voice calls will cover it. There won’t be any voice calls when you can text for free. One incredible comment by a government official, according to a newspaper report, was: “I think the industry will grow if the services will be offered for free.” Unreal. A business needs revenues to grow, with no revenues it will collapse. Not to mention how this insane idea would surely swamp the telcos’ networks and consequently cause system crashes. On a system that could no longer be maintained or upgraded, because there’d be no money to do it.

You can imagine what it would be like if it was for free. The disappointing 5.2-percent GDP growth in the first quarter would become minus 5.2 percent as Filipinos found no time to work. They would be too busy texting.

Another government official said: “We are in the middle of a very difficult economic situation”. We are? I thought it was the best in 31 years. He went on: “and it will be a great help if we can remove the use of SMS from their daily budget.” Indeed it would, but so would removing the cost of electricity, of water, of rice, of bus costs to school. Of so many things. I’ll say it again: Where would it stop?

I wonder: How do you define a public utility? I rather think the definition has changed quite a lot. It used to be (I think) that it was a service the public needed that the private sector couldn’t, or wouldn’t provide. Back in the 19th century.

Postal service used to be entirely done by governments, now they’re a minor player. The big courier companies have taken over and done a much more cost-efficient job. But maybe the cost of couriering should be controlled. After all, it’s an essential service for migrant workers and their families. Why should they be allowed to run a business that makes profits a primary motivator? Profits are dirty, evil things robbing the common man of his just share of the wealth. And they’re right, except for one vital point: It works better than any other system that’s been tried.

The world’s greatest successes are countries with a free market where the government sets standards, controls safety, security, hygiene, etc but does not directly intervene or, worse, compete with the private sector. There is not even one successful country I know of that is an exception to this rule.

The President wants the Philippines to be a First World country by 2020? Well it won’t be if government tries to mold business to its myopic way of thinking.

The cell phone companies have done a fantastic job providing cell phone service almost anywhere you go, the coverage is incredible in this difficult archipelago to cover without high cost. That coverage would not be possible without the revenues from texting. And the essential upgrading in this rapidly changing technological field will not happen without the revenues from texting.

The Philippines is the world leader in cellphone usage today, with some of the most imaginative and innovative services one could imagine. The world is copying, it started here.

Are we now to become the laggard in Asia in this field too, like we are in almost everything else?

The 1.38 billion text messages a day from 60 million phones or an average of 25 texts per person daily shows Filipinos have readily, even enthusiastically, accepted texting and the incredibly low price of it. Why would you now give it away? They’ve shown they’re more than willing to pay.

Incidentally the world texting is about eight billion per day, so the Philippines is 17 percent of it. Indeed it is the texting capital of the world. On a per capita basis it wins hands down. In India there are one billion texts a day, but 220 million subscribers. So that’s only five texts per person per day, a mere 20 percent of what Filipinos do. It, quite provably, works, so why on earth would you tinker with it. The Philippines even has one of the lowest text messaging rates in the region, courtesy of the various promotional rates being offered by Smart and Globe, at an average of 13 to 14 centavos per text message as compared to Malaysia (P0.67 per text), Indonesia (P1.20 per text), and China (P1.50 per text). Even at the full price of P1.00 per text, it’s cheaper.

If you want to make anything free make it my healthy glass (or two) of red wine each night.

Is this the “crab mentality” I’ve read about? When someone tries to rise to the top, others pull him back. Well here’s an industry that’s risen to the top, so is someone trying to pull it back down?

Will call centers, the other great success in recent years, be the next sector to be artificially controlled? Will they be told all overseas calls must be accepted for free to encourage everyone to use the Philippines? The industry will collapse as revenues disappear. Silly, isn’t it, but you tell me why it might not happen. If texts are for free what comes next.

There is a very worrying growing trend of government interfering in the commercial aspects of business. The impact on future investment if it continues will be devastating.

Whatever side you’re on, the government (and the Government Service Insurance System is a government entity) attack on Meralco is being watched with considerable concern by foreign businessmen who worry that their sector could be next.

Imposing a cap on the rate of return of companies doesn’t work either. It’s not as though texting is essential to life (although I must admit it sometimes seems that way). You can live without a cellphone—we did, remember? It’s nice to have, it enhances life. But it is not a justification for government to step in and exert control. Why don’t they control the price of caldereta or corned beef, they’re more necessary to life (however, I’m in no way suggesting they do).

The basic problem isn’t high prices, it’s low incomes. Filipinos have a per capita income of P5,700 per month. Australians have the equivalent of P154,400 per month. Thailand, a more comparable example, get P13,300 per month while per capita income in Malaysia is P24,300 per month. What is the government doing to rapidly increase the productivity and, hence, income of Filipinos? And encourage investment that creates jobs, not discourage it as it’s doing now with such suggestions like this, the attack on Meralco, the “spot zoning” in Pandacan and the unfair taxes imposed on a product at four times the rate of its local competition. This intervention by government is what has to be stopped. The government has to prove it is dealing fairly with all. Not playing favorites as now seems to be the case.

Even talking about doing such an idiotic thing as insisting texting must be free is worrying and deterrent enough, doing it would be devastating.

There’s already enough uncertainty about investing in the Philippines, this is not time to drive another nail into the coffin. The country will pay dearly if it does.

Call, text rates to go down 20 centavos (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080604181)

Good news for the country’s 50 million mobile phone subscribers: the cost of voice calls and text messages will soon go down by at least 20 centavos.

Deputy Commissioner Jaime Fortes of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) told three House committees that they have just issued a circular ordering telecommunications companies (telcos) to reduce their interconnection or access fee from 35 centavos to 15 centavos per call or text message.

Fortes said they would first publish the circular before it takes effect 15 days after publication.

An interconnection or access fee is charged when a subscriber of a particular mobile phone company makes a call or sends a text message to a subscriber of another telco. There is no such fee if the sender or caller and the receiver are subscribers of the same telco.

The three House committees – information technology, oversight and legislative franchises – held their first hearing on a bill of Albay Rep. Al Francis Bichara requiring telcos to make text messaging free of charge.

Representatives of Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and Sun Cellular informed the committees that voice calls now cost between P5 and P7 each, while the cost of a text message averages P1.

Fortes revealed the NTC reduction order in answer to questions raised by opposition Rep. Roilo Golez of Parañaque.

Golez, who is opposed to the free texting proposal, said the order means that the price of each text would soon go down to 80 centavos.

“This will be a big relief to millions of subscribers, considering the rising cost of fuel and food items,” he said.

Fortes also informed the three committees that there are now about 50 million Filipinos with cellular phones.

“They send about 550 million messages a day. I think we are still the world’s texting capital, although there are reports that China has already dislodged us,” he said.

Golez said 550 million messages a day mean that telcos are raking in P550 million a day or more than P200 billion a year in texting receipts alone.

During the hearing, telco representatives said their companies are opposed to free texting but would accept proposals to reduce the cost of voice calls and text messages.

Upon Golez’s motion, the three committees asked NTC whether the cost of a text could be further reduced to 50 centavos for messages sent within the same network and 60 centavos for messages sent from one network to another.

However, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, oversight committee chairman, said the 50-60-centavo price is still high “considering that the proposal is to make texting free.”

“At that price, telcos will still make combined profits of P97 billion a year. We have to bring it down further,” he said.

Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago, who heads the committee on information technology, told his colleagues that when he was NTC commissioner, he tried to make texting free.

“But the telcos stopped me by obtaining a court restraining order even before I could publish my directive,” he said.

http://www.bworld.com.ph/BW083008/content.php?id=042

Filipinos send 600 million text messages daily — NTC

BusinessWorld
Aug 30, 2008

FILIPINOS HAVE been sending more text messages due to lower costs, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said on Friday.

About 600 million text messages were being sent daily as of June, said Edgardo V. Cabarrios, director of the NTC common carrier and authorization division.

He said the number was a "conservative estimate," saying there is no way to count how many messages had been actually sent.

The NTC estimate was based on the premise that the country’s estimated 60 million mobile phone subscribers send an average of 10 text messages each daily.

Mr. Cabarrios said it has been harder to find out how many text messages are sent with the advent of text promotions that allow users to send an unlimited number of messages for a fixed price.

He could not give a yearly comparison, but noted that as of December, they estimated the number of text messages sent daily at 570 million.

The NTC said in earlier reports that there were 500 million daily text messages in 2006, and half that number the year before. Mr. Cabarrios noted that people used to text 30% less than they do now, before text promotions were introduced.

In an interview, Smart Communications, Inc. Spokesman Ramon Isberto said the NTC’s estimate was too conservative. He said Smart alone could easily hit 600 million messages a day.

Smart, together with its low-cost brand, Talk N’ Text, is the market leader with 33 million subscribers. It is followed by Ayala-led Globe Telecom, Inc., which has 22 million subscribers, while Gokongwei-led mobile brand Sun Cellular is the country’s smallest network. Officials from both companies were not available for comment. — Paolo Luis G. Montecillo

hay naku, ang pinoy talaga. ang gaganda ng mga cellphone, pero tanungin mo tungkol sa financial literacy, ayun mag-sho-short circuit :(

(malamang zero savings/investments din)

zero? baka negative, marami utang eh:D

Finally, PLDT makes its move to convert from traditional landline to VoIP!



PLDT exec bares plan to convert to Internet-based communications (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2008/09/12/bus/pldt.exec.bares.plan.to.convert.to.internet.based.communications.html)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is determined to transition to a full internet protocol (IP) network in three years as its voice business is experiencing revenue losses due to the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

“As VoIP expands, it cannibalizes voice revenues,” said PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan. He added that the growth of broadband has “stimulated the use of free VoIP applications” like Yahoo Messenger and Skype.

Pangilinan was keynote speaker of the fourth Asian Carriers Conference, a gathering of telecommunication companies in Asia, which opened yesterday at the Shangri-la’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa.

This year’s conference attracted stakeholders from Europe, the Middle East, North and South America.
Pangilinan said 10 years ago, income from PLDT’s voice business accounted for more than 50 percent of the company’s total revenues.

“This year, international voice revenues for both fixed and mobile will account for no more than 25 percent of our consolidated revenues,” he said.

Although PLDT’s voice business is expected to achieve three- to five-percent growth, the gain will come from the mobile services group and not from fixed lines.

“This trend must be symptomatic of telcos in general in Asia, if not the rest of the world as well,” Pangilinan said.

Ramoncito Fernandez, head of PLDT’s international and carrier business group, said the company’s IP core network is already in place nationwide. Now, it has already started the migration of subscribers’ access to its next generation network (NGN).

“We have determined that IP will deliver major benefits and therefore increase profitability, that’s why we have been shifting our landline and mobile networks from traditional telephony technology to an all-IP platform,” Fernandez said in his speech.

Claire Paponneau, the executive vice-president for French telecom company Orange, said transitioning to an all-IP network will create new revenue streams like Video on Demand (VoD), mobile sports and mobile entertainment.

“Fifteen percent of total revenues for 2008 will come from the new revenue streams,” she said.

Pangilinan agrees. He foresees the same income streams to emerge for PLDT.

With the impending transition, Pangilinan said PLDT has to manage its resources well so its profitability will not be seriously affected.

But Pangilinan said the transition will be gradual, considering that affordability continues to affect the penetration rate or ownership of computers and laptops in the Philippines.

Still, to be able to take advantage of the future development, PLDT will enter into partnerships with web portals that are currently offering web-based VoIP services.

At present, the effect of PLDT’s declining voice revenues is offset by income coming from data and broadband, increased number of Internet cafes, the rise of the call center and the business process outsourcing businesses.

These lines of business have contributed an average annual growth rate of 15 percent in the last five years, said Pangilinan.

For its corporate clients, Pangilinan said a full IP network will allow the mainstream use of IP-enabled private branch exchanges (PBX), replacing the traditional enterprise PBX systems that are becoming obsolete. (DME)

Free text dapat sa mahihirap kasi sila ang hindi makapagbayad kuya...
^^^^ Asus. Mahirap daw. E bakit nakakapag-paload dito sa amin ng 20? 30? Minsan pa nga 500 eh. Ano yung sinasabing mahirap sila? Mga pa-feeling rich kasi niloloadan yung mga ka-text kuno. Sino ngayon ang mahirap?
sorry, i'm really against spam text messages like chain texts, quotes and jokes. i know unlimited text messaging should be for all but there should be a limit. i'm already satisfied with P20-25 unlimited SMS for 24hrs. we use it at work.

kung wala nang free unlimited texting, paano na lang ang mga scammers na nagpapadala nito: kawawa namn sila, mawalan ng hanapbuhay:lol:

Congratulations!! Ur SIM# had won P480,000.00. From V-Pres. Charity Foundation. Electronic raffle drw.4 more info Call mne now Atty. Rico Lopez DTI#8094 series 2008

kung wala nang free unlimited texting, paano na lang ang mga scammers na nagpapadala nito: kawawa namn sila, mawalan ng hanapbuhay:lol:

Congratulations!! Ur SIM# had won P480,000.00. From V-Pres. Charity Foundation. Electronic raffle drw.4 more info Call mne now Atty. Rico Lopez DTI#8094 series 2008

:lol: :lol: ROFL! :rofl:

Too good to be true.

i so agree with the peter wallace article posted by mod kiretoce.. no need to make texting free, what the gov't must focus on is raising the GMI of the filipino.. improve business laws and practices to generate more investments and jobs here.. making sms free is just papogi points that we don not need..

Finally, PLDT makes its move to convert from traditional landline to VoIP!



PLDT exec bares plan to convert to Internet-based communications (http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2008/09/12/bus/pldt.exec.bares.plan.to.convert.to.internet.based.communications.html)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is determined to transition to a full internet protocol (IP) network in three years as its voice business is experiencing revenue losses due to the use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

“As VoIP expands, it cannibalizes voice revenues,” said PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan. He added that the growth of broadband has “stimulated the use of free VoIP applications” like Yahoo Messenger and Skype.

Pangilinan was keynote speaker of the fourth Asian Carriers Conference, a gathering of telecommunication companies in Asia, which opened yesterday at the Shangri-la’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa.

This year’s conference attracted stakeholders from Europe, the Middle East, North and South America.
Pangilinan said 10 years ago, income from PLDT’s voice business accounted for more than 50 percent of the company’s total revenues.

“This year, international voice revenues for both fixed and mobile will account for no more than 25 percent of our consolidated revenues,” he said.

Although PLDT’s voice business is expected to achieve three- to five-percent growth, the gain will come from the mobile services group and not from fixed lines.

“This trend must be symptomatic of telcos in general in Asia, if not the rest of the world as well,” Pangilinan said.

Ramoncito Fernandez, head of PLDT’s international and carrier business group, said the company’s IP core network is already in place nationwide. Now, it has already started the migration of subscribers’ access to its next generation network (NGN).

“We have determined that IP will deliver major benefits and therefore increase profitability, that’s why we have been shifting our landline and mobile networks from traditional telephony technology to an all-IP platform,” Fernandez said in his speech.

Claire Paponneau, the executive vice-president for French telecom company Orange, said transitioning to an all-IP network will create new revenue streams like Video on Demand (VoD), mobile sports and mobile entertainment.

“Fifteen percent of total revenues for 2008 will come from the new revenue streams,” she said.

Pangilinan agrees. He foresees the same income streams to emerge for PLDT.

With the impending transition, Pangilinan said PLDT has to manage its resources well so its profitability will not be seriously affected.

But Pangilinan said the transition will be gradual, considering that affordability continues to affect the penetration rate or ownership of computers and laptops in the Philippines.

Still, to be able to take advantage of the future development, PLDT will enter into partnerships with web portals that are currently offering web-based VoIP services.

At present, the effect of PLDT’s declining voice revenues is offset by income coming from data and broadband, increased number of Internet cafes, the rise of the call center and the business process outsourcing businesses.

These lines of business have contributed an average annual growth rate of 15 percent in the last five years, said Pangilinan.

For its corporate clients, Pangilinan said a full IP network will allow the mainstream use of IP-enabled private branch exchanges (PBX), replacing the traditional enterprise PBX systems that are becoming obsolete. (DME)

Ayoko ng VOIP. Pag may downtime ung Internet, pati phone mo hindi gagana. Minsan pa, may latency issues kapag may sira din ung Internet. Kapag magre-reset ka ng modem na may kausap ka, mapuputol ung line. Minsan din mapuputol Internet kapag gumamit ka ng phone, or mapuputol ung phone pag gumamit ka ng Internet. Hindi siya ganun ka-reliable. Conventional phone na lang ako.

Ayoko ng VOIP. Pag may downtime ung Internet, pati phone mo hindi gagana. Minsan pa, may latency issues kapag may sira din ung Internet. Kapag magre-reset ka ng modem na may kausap ka, mapuputol ung line. Minsan din mapuputol Internet kapag gumamit ka ng phone, or mapuputol ung phone pag gumamit ka ng Internet. Hindi siya ganun ka-reliable. Conventional phone na lang ako.

ows:D ayaw mo talagang maputol usapan nyo ng ehem mo ha:D
sa call centers mostly if not all VOIP na ang gamit.

Ayoko ng VOIP. Pag may downtime ung Internet, pati phone mo hindi gagana. Minsan pa, may latency issues kapag may sira din ung Internet. Kapag magre-reset ka ng modem na may kausap ka, mapuputol ung line. Minsan din mapuputol Internet kapag gumamit ka ng phone, or mapuputol ung phone pag gumamit ka ng Internet. Hindi siya ganun ka-reliable. Conventional phone na lang ako.


agree ako sa sinasabi mo.depende ito sa application.
pero kung purely commercial, kailangan talaga ng backup.
alala ko nuon ng nasa school pa ako, gamit ko nun sa BBS ay 9.6 lang.(mabilis na ito nung panahon na yun, dahil ang telex ay nasa 4 dot 8)
Leased Line?meron din 14.4~19.2 sa PLDT. Magkaroon ka nga lang ng 33K speed ay malupit ka na.
Nung lumabas ang 64K dun nagsimula ang pabilisan.
Yung Singtel nuong year 2000, traditional phone line ay kaya ang 200k. Ewan ko lang ngayon, sigurado may pagbabago.
Ikumpara mo ang mga linya ng telepono mula Philcom, Eastern, Globe, PT&T, Bayantel, Digitel, Piltel, Isla, Smart, Extelcom, atkung anu-ano pa. Isama na natin ang Nextel.
(just sharing)

ows:D ayaw mo talagang maputol usapan nyo ng ehem mo ha:D
sa call centers mostly if not all VOIP na ang gamit.

Yep. As of today's technologies, well, uptime for a year will be six nines (99.9999%, meaning you have only 31.5 seconds of downtime in a year).

Who knows, PLDT will have dedicated line just for voice, walang data. :)

-----

The only issue in VoIP is you cannot make emergency calls (a setting common in US of A). If they can call, the Public Safety Answering Point (the call center where they respond emergency calls) is taking difficulty tracing the origin of the call automatically (other than asking for location) especially if the IP address is dynamic.

Partnership aims to grow internet cafe businesses (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/120741/Partnership-aims-to-grow-internet-cafe-businesses#)

Article posted September 16, 2008 - 06:23 PM
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine unit of Yahoo! Inc. forged a partnership with an online gaming unit affiliated with Philippine Long Distance and Telephone Co. (PLDT) to grow the internet café business in the country.

Yahoo! said it will be working with Level Up! Games, a subsidiary of ePLDT, for the Yahoo! Advantage Internet Café program. ePLDT is the information technology (IT) unit of the country’s dominant telephone company, PLDT.

The program is an offshoot of a similar program piloted last year specifically for internet cafes. Yahoo! said in a statement that the success of the pilot program has led to the new internet café program.

Yahoo! said the new program also “aims to reward Internet café owners as they build a loyal customer base and grow their business."

Internet cafes which join the program will become members of the Yahoo!
Advantage network of Internet cafes and will be supported by Yahoo! by way of marketing and promotions, and by giving them access to Yahoo!
communities. Internet cafés from across the Philippines simply have to sign up at www.yahoo.com.ph/iCafe to join the program.

This recent internet café program is part of Yahoo! Philippines’ recent initiatives to make its local operations more “Pinoy-centric" given that Yahoo! claims that it has a big share of the local market.

Yahoo! Philippines was set up just this year and one of its “Pinoy-centric" business strategies is to make Yahoo! websites the starting point for most consumers.

“The partnership with Level Up! allows us to reach out to iCafe owners to help them grow their business while making Yahoo!’s websites the essential starting point for even more online Pinoys," Jojo Anonuevo, general manager of Yahoo! Philippines, said.

Anonuevo added that internet cafes are critical in Yahoo!’s strategy since the Philippines is a fast-moving internet-savvy society and some first-time users are introduced to the internet through internet cafes.

“The combined strength of Yahoo!’s brand reputation in the Philippines and Level Up!’s distribution network of nearly 10,000 Internet café partners will help transform lives through positive internet experiences to internet user communities in the Philippines through the benefits of Yahoo! Advantage," said Level Up! CEO Jane Walker.

Walker added that providing opportunity to local internet cafes is their contribution to advance the local IT industry.

Level-Up Philippines, a subsidiary of ePLDT, is an online game publisher with titles such as Ragnarok Online, RF Online, Freestyle Online, Flyff, Silkroad Online, Perfect World, Crazy Kart, and Be There.

Yahoo! Philippines will be working closely with Yahoo! Southeast Asia in this internet café program. Yahoo! Southeast Asia runs and manages the Yahoo! Philippines’ website. - Veronica C. Silva, GMANews.TV

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All Rights Reserved. 2006 © GMA Network Inc.

RP: From texting capital to leader in (Inter)networking (http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20080920-161755/RP-From-texting-capital-to-leader-in-Internetworking)
By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Yup, we socialize to the max.

The Philippines not only has the reputation as the texting capital of the world, with one billion text messages sent daily, but it also has the highest number of Internet users in the 16 to 64 age group who join social networking groups. In Universal McCann’s study on social media Wave 3 report, the Philippines had the highest penetration of social networking among Internet users at 83.1 percent, compared with the global average of 57.5 percent.

Social networking is practiced by Web based communities of people who share interests and activities. Users have a variety of ways to interact, such as e-mail, instant messaging services and blogs. Some examples are Multiply, Friendster, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Live Journal and Blogs.

Favorite reading fare

The Philippines also had the second highest incidence of blog-reading among Internet users at 90.3 percent. South Korea topped the blog readership list at 92.1 percent. The global average was 72.8 percent. All over the world, including the Philippines and South Korea, personal blogs or diary blogs are the favorite reading fare.

About 65.8 percent of Filipino Internet users write blogs, compared with China which topped the survey at 70.3 percent. Globally, 44.8 percent of Internet users blog, mostly about themselves.

Penetration only 15%

This means that Filipinos prefer to read about other people more than write blogs about themselves—but so does the rest of the world. It must be noted, though, that Internet penetration in the Philippines was relatively low—around 15 percent—compared to cell phone penetration of more than 60 percent. There’s definitely a lot of room for growth.

Still, Universal McCann said its study indicated that blogs and social networks were becoming “mainstream” media and were a valid platform for spreading information.

The study also showed that there was a wealth of opportunities for traditional media publishers as well as advertisers to explore. But more importantly, it indicated that consumers were no longer passive—they had more control on how they consume content. They also had more ways of telling other people about their views on products, services, people and events.

Universal McCann’s study was undertaken in March 2008 among 17,000 respondents in 29 countries. Those included in the study were Internet users 16 to 54 years old who accessed the World Wide Web every day or every other day. With Inquirer Research

PLDT eyeing small telcos for expansion
By Darwin G. Amojelar Reporter
Thursday, September 25 2008
The Manila Times


PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said it would partner with provincial telecom companies to use their existing facilities to operate telephone and Internet services outside of its permit.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) recently approved PLDT’s request to build a next generation network (NGN) in 198 municipalities and cities nationwide covered by its new franchise.

Alfredo Carrera, PLDT’s first vice president for regulatory strategy and support, said the company had accepted the condition of the regulator to use the existing facilities of members of the Philippine Association of Private Telephone Companies (Paptelco).

Carrera said PLDT and Paptelco would negotiate possible partnerships for services requiring facilities which the Paptelco member in the area can readily provide.

“If there are constraints in existing Paptelco facilities such that they are not capable, not suitable or not available for the services PLDT intends to offer, PLDT will proceed with the service offering using its existing and/or own facilities, or undertake needed network deployment to serve customer service requirements,” Carrera said.

He said this is necessary to allow PLDT to fulfill its obligations to provide service to the public within 12 months as stipulated in its new permit.

Carrera said the company’s wide range of new generation information and communication techno-logy services would promote economic growth and development in these areas.

The company plans to spend P4.37 billion for the NGN rollout. Of this amount, P3.9 billion is an incremental investment for over five years. Its existing investment in the proposed areas is estimated at P464.01 million.

PLDT will finance its fresh investment through internally generated funds.

The billions will be spent on NGN core, Internet protocol (IP) backbone, transmission, broadband remote access server, access gateway, among others.

NGN is the latest technology for voice and multimedia communications based on open architecture design made possible through IP technology. The technology will support both existing telephone devices such as analog telephone sets, fax machines, among others.

The company projected to earn P781.76 million for its fifth year of operation from the expansion. For year one, PLDT expects revenues of P79.29 million. For the second, third and fourth years, it is eyeing to generate P226.07 million, P391.64 million and P576.59 million, respectively.

PLDT said its reasonable return of rate base for year five is 1.47 percent.

The company expects to grow its subscriber base by 21,646 for the first year, 45,557 for the second, 72,876 for the third, 102,032 for the fourth and 132,630 for the fifth.

The company plans to impose a rate of P958.18 for business subscribers and P559.01 for residential users. For trunkline subscribers, PLDT will charge between P1.518.51 and P1,676.02.

Figure it out: Sources: Forbes.com and Inquirer

62 Million Filipinos: estimated number of cellphone subscribers in the Philippines in 2008. That's 70% of the total population. Nearly 1 billion messages sent in a day.

Around 4 out of 5 Filipinos own DVD players according to Synovate - 2008.

Smart allocates P9.57B to fund new projects (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=222%3Asmart-allocates-p957b-to-fund-new-projects&catid=24%3Acompanies&Itemid=1)
Companies
Written by Lenie Lectura/Reporter
Sunday, 12 October 2008 21:33


SMART Communications Inc., the country’s largest mobile phone company, is allotting P9.57 billion for capital expenditures (capex) to fund a new project aimed at providing telecommunications services to unserved and underserved areas of the country.

Just like Piltel (Pilipino Telephone Corp.), Smart wants to operate, establish and maintain a nationwide data-communications network. Their applications had been filed before the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

Piltel had programmed P7.57 billion to finance a similar project for the first five years of operation.

The proposed networks promise to deliver rich voice and multimedia content as the companies will be using wireless broadband to deliver Internet to its subscribers, specifically targeted in the rural areas. “There is an urgent public need for the services applied for considering that not all households are connected to the Internet. Public convenience and necessity thus demand the immediate approval of the application,” Smart stated in its application, a copy of which was obtained by the BusinessMirror.

Smart is earmarking P4.1 billion for the first year; P1.8 billion for the second year; P1.2 billion each for the third, fourth and fifth years for a total of P9.57 billion during the first five years of operation of the company’s proposed nationwide data-communications network.

The bulk of the programmed capex will be spent on the purchase of customer premises equipment, valued at P3.68 billion; mobile service switching center for P2 billion; and base transceiver station for P1.8 billion. Other expenses include transmission for P1.2 billion and capitalized installation costs for P815 million.

Smart said it is financially capable to finance the proposed project. “Applicant possesses the requisite financial resources and capability for the services applied for, to be generated from combination of internally generated funds, suppliers’ credits, loans and other forms of financing and, if necessary, equity infusion,” said the cellular firm.

To support the project, Smart attached to its application its latest audited financial statements, a certification that—as of June 2008—its total paid-up capital is P13.76 billion, and receipt of its SRF (supervision and regulatory fee) payment to the NTC in the amount of P68.81 million posted last month.

“Based on the financial standing of Smart and its financial documents, including those attached, Smart is financially capable of maintaining the data communications network and providing services therefore. Likewise, the service is financially feasible,” said the company’s financial controller Godofredo Calica Jr.

According to the annual itemized list of projected revenues for a five–year period, the proposed project will rake in P1.32 billion on the first year 1; P3.14 billion on the second year; P3.92 billion on Year 3; P4.78 billion on Year 4; and P5.29 billion on the fifth year.

The company also expects to register 266,786 subscribers for the first year of operation and up to 679,594 users by year 5. The average revenue per user is forecast at P700 to P800 per year.

After deducting all expected expenses, Smart would have registered a net income of P75.1 million in the first year and P1.16 billion for the fifth year.

“The need to install telecommunications facilities in rural areas is an urgent necessity to ensure access to telecommunications services and to cope with the pace of developments in information and telecommunications technology,” Smart told the NTC.

The company is proposing to charge a monthly subscription fee anywhere from P100 to P200,000. Rates for voice call per minute range from P1 to P10 while video calls could be anywhere from P1 to P40 per minute.

Text-messaging rates are from P0.10 to P30 per send. Multimedia service may be anywhere from P0.50 to P50 per transmission.

Internet access could be charged on a per-kilobyte basis from P0.025 to P10 or P0.05 to P0.75 per minute.

Smart may also opt to charge a one-time administrative fee of P50 to P5,000 to cover one-time charges.

Any ümobile subscribers here?

I hope there will be more competition in the telecom industry.

I hope more Filipino owned firms will come in inthis very lucrative industry.

Its because the telecom industry in the country today is not anymore controleed by Pinoys but foreigners...

PLDT---NTT (Japan); First Pacific (indonesia)

Smart (PLDT affiliate, Indonesian controlled)

Piltel (Smart affiliate, Indomesia controlled)

Globe--Singtel ( Singapore)

Touch Mobile (Globe affiliate, Singtel)

Only Sun Cellular and Bayantel are truly owned by local investors..

these people are sick...instead of trying to make pa-pogi to the masa by lobbying for free text, they should instead focus their efforts on issues that really matter
Its understandable for the domestic telecom companies to block any proposals that would reduce their enormous profits. Gordon’s proposal is a noble one but i think people should realize that the main issue here is the negative impact of the duopolistic behavior of the two main telecom players. Congress should work hard to induce more industry competition (lower cost, better service). Better yet, investigate the respective ownership structures of these companies. My hunch is that these companies have already foreign ownership limit as laid out in the constitution.

Just thinking aloud.

NTC must protect competition
DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
http://philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=49&type=2&sec=27&aid=2008050617

I did something momentous as 2007 ended. I gave up my extra PLDT phone line. I should have given it up a long time ago but I just couldn’t part with it. There must have been this subconscious feeling in me that viewed that phone like a cherished trophy because it took me so long to get it. It is stupid in this new era of cell phones and easy connectivity but what can I say, I am a child of the 50s.

For a while I justified having that extra PLDT phone line on the DSL connected through it. I could have shifted the DSL to the other line (in my wife’s name) but I did nothing, maybe because of that subconscious attachment… One day, I finally gave up on PLDT’s DSL service in my neighborhood (legacy copper lines equals bad surfing experience) and signed on another telco. I simply can’t pay an extra thousand a month for sentiment.

My wife went to the PLDT business office and returned the phone and DSL equipment as we served PLDT our notice of disconnection. PLDT continued to bill us four months after, threatening to disconnect our disconnected phone. Silly… this phone company!

My wife went back to the business office to ask what’s going on. She was told to ignore the billing and the disconnection notice. They blamed their less than adequate accounting and computerized billing system. I can understand. I gave up on their customer service too. Sometimes, even an e-mailed complaint to MVP provided no relief. PLDT took me for granted so it lost me as a customer. I now have a choice and I exercised it.

I relate this little personal story to drive the point that it is great to live in this day when there are choices. Today’s generation do not know how lucky they are that they can no longer be abused by service providers like PLDT who in the past, made us wait decades just to have an ordinary land line.

But let me qualify that… every time I write about PLDT’s service, I get inundated with complaints. It seems, PLDT still abuses customers and that’s because it is big and there are times when a customer’s ability to exercise choice isn’t as apparent. PLDT’s size simply intimidates.

Still, many of us specially here in Metro Manila, now want to believe that the telco business has become highly competitive. In reality, it is less competitive than we think. PLDT and Smart, its cell phone unit, can and do bully competitors. They can and will crush competitors if NTC allows them. They can screw up smaller rivals by refusing to provide the right quality of interconnection needed. Or, they can use the regulatory agency to allow them to get an unfair advantage.

I was for instance, surprised to learn that NTC allowed Piltel (PLDT’s original cell phone unit) to quietly convert its analog license into 3G instead of requiring Piltel to return it. Thus, even before Smart bought CURE, it already had two 3G licenses with their corresponding sets of frequencies. Now, Smart will have 3 against 1 each for Globe and Sun. Talk of an Unlevel Playing Field!

It would thus seem that NTC, as the industry’s regulator, is failing to regulate. It is allowing what looks like a competitive market to deteriorate into a near monopoly again for PLDT. Actually, if the NTC is naturally inclined to be unfair, it should tilt the balance in favor of the smaller competitors of PLDT because as the long time monopoly, PLDT already enjoys established advantages. The competitors need time to catch up to develop their capabilities and grow their markets to provide real competition.

It is a constant battle and hopefully, the NTC understands the importance of supporting competition in our telco market. If given half a chance, PLDT and Smart would do their best to re-establish monopoly regimes. They tried to do it in the Fort Bonifacio area and almost succeeded.

Luckily, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez ruled that the Constitution prohibits any carrier from claiming exclusivity in the operation of public utilities within any given service area. Gonzalez reiterated that “the Global City is a ‘free zone’ within which all enfranchised public telecommunications entities so authorized by the NTC can provide high-speed networks and communications connectivity.”

Hopefully, MVP, who pays lip service to the need for a competitive environment, accepts the Gonzalez ruling as it is. The wonders of the digital world can thrive best and serve us best in a competitive environment. The NTC must make sure freedom of choice in the telecom industry will never be curtailed because of its failure to protect meaningful competition in a level playing field.

It would be quite tragic if my grandchildren end up experiencing what I experienced when I was growing up… a time when there was no choice but to suffer the only telco player there was.
Grabe! P77 billion

Neal Cruz Inquirer Column
10/10/2008
http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=165618


"...Philippine telcos are raking the money in as if they had gold mines. The total annual revenue of the three mobile-phone companies is P77 billion, divided as follows: Smart Communications P93.4 billion; Globe Telecom, P57 billion; and Sun Cellular, P16.8 billion"

Major beneficiaries of the enormous profits
PLDT---NTT (Japan); First Pacific (indonesia)
Smart (PLDT affiliate, Indonesian controlled)
Piltel (Smart affiliate, Indomesia controlled)
Globe--Singtel ( Singapore)
Touch Mobile (Globe affiliate, Singtel)

Siguro ang mga Filipino capitalists mga 40% ang share lang sa kita. Puro Hapon, Indonesian and Singaporean ang naghahari sa mga kumpanyang mga ito.

Hmmmmn! bakit walang sumisilip sa mga politicians natin sa issue ng foreign ownership limit?

Grabe! P77 billion

Neal Cruz Inquirer Column
10/10/2008
http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=165618


"...Philippine telcos are raking the money in as if they had gold mines. The total annual revenue of the three mobile-phone companies is P77 billion, divided as follows: Smart Communications P93.4 billion; Globe Telecom, P57 billion; and Sun Cellular, P16.8 billion"

Major beneficiaries of the enormous profits
PLDT---NTT (Japan); First Pacific (indonesia)
Smart (PLDT affiliate, Indonesian controlled)
Piltel (Smart affiliate, Indomesia controlled)
Globe--Singtel ( Singapore)
Touch Mobile (Globe affiliate, Singtel)

Siguro ang mga Filipino capitalists mga 40% ang share lang sa kita. Puro Hapon, Indonesian and Singaporean ang naghahari sa mga kumpanyang mga ito.

Hmmmmn! bakit walang sumisilip sa mga politicians natin sa issue ng foreign ownership limit?

May cut or porsento sila sa profit...:bash:

Smart is a dirty player, so now they have 3 sets of 3G Frequencies.... tsk.

Globe should let Innove, the former Islacom apply for its own 3G frequencies then.

Grabe! P77 billion

Neal Cruz Inquirer Column
10/10/2008
http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=165618


"...Philippine telcos are raking the money in as if they had gold mines. The total annual revenue of the three mobile-phone companies is P77 billion, divided as follows: Smart Communications P93.4 billion; Globe Telecom, P57 billion; and Sun Cellular, P16.8 billion"

Major beneficiaries of the enormous profits
PLDT---NTT (Japan); First Pacific (indonesia)
Smart (PLDT affiliate, Indonesian controlled)
Piltel (Smart affiliate, Indomesia controlled)
Globe--Singtel ( Singapore)
Touch Mobile (Globe affiliate, Singtel)

Siguro ang mga Filipino capitalists mga 40% ang share lang sa kita. Puro Hapon, Indonesian and Singaporean ang naghahari sa mga kumpanyang mga ito.

Hmmmmn! bakit walang sumisilip sa mga politicians natin sa issue ng foreign ownership limit?I don't get it. The profits that the company would get should be divided based on the percentage of shares in the company, right?

And since our constitution only allows 40% foreign ownership in these companies, how can you conclude that they are "naghahari" in these companies? What does "naghahari" mean? Does it mean that they get more than what they should? And where did you get the 40% share of Filipinos? Sources please.

Smart is a dirty player, so now they have 3 sets of 3G Frequencies.... tsk.

Globe should let Innove, the former Islacom apply for its own 3G frequencies then.

dirty player? it's the NTC that awarded SMART with three carrier for 3G frequency base on what they called "beauty contest" criteria, same criteria that other European countries used in awarding frequencies to their local operator. And FYI Globe has two 3G frequency carrier and Suncell has one. :)

dirty player? it's the NTC that awarded SMART with three carrier for 3G frequency base on what they called "beauty contest" criteria, same criteria that other European countries used in awarding frequencies to their local operator. And FYI Globe has two 3G frequency carrier and Suncell has one. :)

NTC did not award Smart with 3 3G frequencies. The only had 2, for smart, 1 for piltel...

then they bought CURE. to begin with, I think everything is staged. CURE was theirs from the beginning. They put a a dummy telco so that they can aquire another frequency.

NTC did not award Smart with 3 3G frequencies. The only had 2, for smart, 1 for piltel...

then they bought CURE. to begin with, I think everything is staged. CURE was theirs from the beginning. They put a a dummy telco so that they can aquire another frequency.

Nope, SMART was already awarded by NTC with 3 carriers base on the result of that "beauty contest". The additional carrier that they have acquired from CURE was their fourth carrier. In the GSM band (2G), Globe has the most carrier because of their acquisition of Islacom. :)

NTC did not award Smart with 3 3G frequencies. The only had 2, for smart, 1 for piltel...

then they bought CURE. to begin with, I think everything is staged. CURE was theirs from the beginning. They put a a dummy telco so that they can aquire another frequency.

After Ramos successfully deregulated the telecom industry, the sector is becoming another oligopoly....

led by Indonesians, Japanese and Singaporeans...

Pinoys such as Bayantel are way way behind....

From PSE website:

Globe telecoms Top Stockholders As of Sept 30, 2008

Singtel 47.3%
Ayala Corp 30.6%
PCD Nominee Corp (non-Filipino) 17.5%

Singtel+PCD Nominee Corp (non-Filipino) holdings = 64.8%

So, technically lagpas na sila sa foreign ownership limit, tama ba?

Source:http://www.pse.org.ph/html/ListedCompanies/pdf/2008/GLO_Top100_Sep2008.pdf




I don't get it. The profits that the company would get should be divided based on the percentage of shares in the company, right?

And since our constitution only allows 40% foreign ownership in these companies, how can you conclude that they are "naghahari" in these companies? What does "naghahari" mean? Does it mean that they get more than what they should? And where did you get the 40% share of Filipinos? Sources please.

From PSE website:

Globe telecoms Top Stockholders As of Sept 30, 2008

Singtel 47.3%
Ayala Corp 30.6%
PCD Nominee Corp (non-Filipino) 17.5%

Singtel+PCD Nominee Corp (non-Filipino) holdings = 64.8%

So, technically lagpas na sila sa foreign ownership limit, tama ba?

Source:http://www.pse.org.ph/html/ListedCompanies/pdf/2008/GLO_Top100_Sep2008.pdf

Correct.

Alam ko bawal yan tulad ng sa PLDT-Smart-PILtel-CURE...Alam ko First Pacific
at NTT na ang dominant investors..

They are becoming another foreign oligopoly in the country.

Delikado yan. Foreign controlled ang telecom natin.

yung i-tax nga lang ang text ayaw nila. Ginagamit pa supposedly this text group etc. as front to fight government's attempt to a least get a slice of their humongous profit for education. These profits actually are just remitted out of the country draining our international reserves at the expense of Pinoys and for the benefits of again Indonesian-Chinese principals, Singaporeans and Japanese.

Di na talaga natuto mga Pinoy.Lagi tayo ang talo.

Lagi na lang ginigisa sa sariling mantika.

Paging government regulators!:ohno:

SEC and Congress!Review the franchises of these companies which are violating our laws...:bash:

Bayan questioning award process for 3G franchise Companies (http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=692:bayan-questioning-award-process-for-3g-franchise&catid=24:companies)
Written by Lenie Lectura / Reporter
Monday, 20 October 2008 21:09

BAYAN Telecommunications Inc. (Bayan) is questioning the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) the method in determining which 3G (third-generation) applicant should be granted frequencies.

Bayan made the query before the Court of Appeals (CA) claiming it was blind-sided by the manner the criteria was applied. It said the “arbitrary and whimsical” rating system was not previously known to the phone firm.

“The NTC unilaterally imposed a thirty-point rating system in applying its own criteria under memorandum circular (MC) 07-08-2005. This virtually changed the rules of the game midstream—without even as much notice to Bayan or any of the other applicants. Such baseless and arbitrary action on the part of the NTC clearly violated Bayan’s right to due process of the law,” said the company in its 48-page petition for review filed before the court.

Bayan said it only came to its knowledge that the NTC adopted the rating system when it read the commission’s December 2005 order that granted 3G frequencies to Smart Communications Inc., Globe Telecom, Digital Mobile Philippines Inc., and Connectivity Unlimited Resources Enterprises (Cure) Inc.

Other aspiring 3G applicants including Bayan, AZ Communications Network Inc., Multimedia Telephony Inc., Next Mobile Inc., and Pacific Wireless failed to meet the passing score of 20 in the NTC’s 30-point grading system. They all filed their respective appeals before the agency but these were all rejected on August 28, 2008, two years after the NTC named the 3G franchise winners.

Bayan said the 2005 NTC circular, which lays down the rules governing the allocation of 3G frequency bands, does not provide for a 30-point rating system. The circular merely stated that in order to qualify, the applicant must be a mobile phone operator, with good track record, with no outstanding obligations, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 70:30, with at lest P100 million in paid-up capital stock, is technically capable to operate and maintain 3G networks, and must submit a five-year roll out plan, among others.

“In fact, the 30-point rating system was never published in a newspaper neither was Bayan notified of said rating system prior to its application to the NTC. Effectively, Bayan was deprived of its opportunity to be informed of how the criteria under MC 07-08-2005 will be applied to determine whether an applicant is entitled to a 3G frequency band,” said Bayan.

And as a result, Bayan pointed out, an unqualified applicant was assigned a 3G frequency. The Lopez company was referring to Cure, which got an overall rating of 20.5 points as against Bayan’s 18.5 points.

Bayan told the CA that it should have been awarded the fifth 3G slot since the circular provides that five qualified telecom firms will be awarded with these frequency bands. But the NTC only awarded four slots and decided to hold in abeyance the awarding of the fifth slot until after an applicant shall have qualified.

The company also questioned why the NTC assigned to Cure the fourth 3G slot and not to the Lopez-controlled firm. “Instead of assigning a 3G frequency band to Bayan, the NTC assigned it to an entity that lacked financial, technical and other qualifications. Given the criteria, it puzzles Bayan why the NTC chose to assign this frequency band in favor of Cure,” it said.

Bayan noted that Cure failed to meet the minimum rollout requirement of service in 80 percent of provincial capitals and chartered cities. Cure simply tried to remedy this flaw by making a subsequent representation to cover 95 percent of the provincial cities and municipalities and 90 percent of the chartered cities within 48 months from the awarding of the license.

“This self-serving representation later turned out to be false. Cure was later purchased by another telecommunications company shortly after it was awarded the 3G frequency by the NTC,” said Bayan.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/oct/21/yehey/top_stories/20081021top1.html


Telcos vulnerable in crisis
Drop in remittances to affect giant firms
By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter

The current global financial woes could dampen the growth of the local telecommunications industry as overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) expect to reduce money that they send home to their families, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) warned Monday.

The International Monetary Fund earlier also warned that remittance inflows to the Philippines are likely to decline because of a slowdown in advanced economies that employ migrant workers.

The inflows came largely from the US, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also earlier projected that remittances from OFWs may grow 15 percent this year, lower from January to August of 17.2 percent.

“Lower remittances from OFWs could mean [their families] may scrimp on their spending, then may reduce [mobile phone] usage,” Deputy Commissioner Jorge Sarmiento of the National Telecommunications Commission told reporters.

The telecommunications (telcos) industry contributes about 4 percent to the total gross domestic product (GDP), which is the final cost of all goods and services produced in the country in a year. Telcos employ about 20,000 people directly, and up to another 60,000 indirectly.

Telco giants see slowdown

From January to June, Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom reported declining average revenue per user, or ARPU, because of higher inflation.

Globe reported that its average revenue declined by 24 percent to P214 in the first half of the year from P280 in the same period last year. Smart’s numbers also dropped by 16 percent to P220.

“Somehow, we may feel it since spending is triggered by remittances,” Sarmiento said, adding that international and domestic calls and texts are triggered by OFW remittances.

Government data showed that consumer spending remains the main engine of the country’s economic growth, with OFW remittances fueling that expansion.

A survey by Nielsen Media Research reported that more than a third of the respondents said OFWs call home once a week. Close to a fifth of those surveyed said the overseas workers call once a month, and another fifth said the OFWs use the phone twice a week.

The Nielsen report added that majority of OFW households spends between P101 and P499 a month to communicate with their loved ones. Another 13.7 percent spend between P500 and P999, while less than 10 percent spend more.

The great majority at 97.4 percent uses prepaid cards.

The Nielsen survey showed that more than 75 percent of OFW beneficiaries receive money once a month. The majority or 80.8 percent receives P20,000 and below, while smaller percentages receive higher amounts.

Smart to reach target

Ramon Isberto, spokesman for Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. said the current economic environment is “very challenging” to the telecom industry.

Despite the difficult economic environment, Isberto said PLDT’s core profit guidance of P37 billion would be achieved this year. PLDT will announce its third-quarter performance on November 4.

The telecom company, partly owned by Hong Kong’s First Pacific Co. Ltd. and Japan’s NTT group, said its second-quarter profit inched up by 4 percent to P8.8 billion from P8.47 billion in the same period last year.

This brought the telco’s first-half net income to P19.3 billion, or 13 percent higher than the P17.1 billion in the same six-month period last year.

The PLDT group’s total cellular subscriber base for the first half continued to grow as unit Smart Communications Inc. recorded net additions of about 412,000 subscribers while the Talk ‘N Text brand of unit Pilipino Telephone Corp. (Piltel) added about 2.78 million subscribers to end the period with 20.7 million and 12.5 million subscribers, respectively. The combined Smart and Piltel subscribers stood at 33.2 million at end-June.

Isberto said to cushion the impact of global economic slowdown and higher inflation, PLDT is offering affordable products and services that suit their means and needs.

“The OFW is an important segment of our market,” Isberto noted, saying that PLDT is expanding its affordable mobile phone services to reach the migrant workers.

Companies optimistic

Jones Campos, spokesman for Globe Telecom Inc., said telecom companies are optimistic that the current economic slowdown would get “better” soon.

At end-June, Globe recorded 22.7 million subscribers, up by 25 percent than last year.

Globe, which is owned by Ayala Corp. and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd., said its consolidated profit dropped by 3 percent to P6.2 billion because of lower operating earnings and higher income tax provision.

Its second-quarter profit slipped 18 percent to P2.8 billion from P3.4 billion in the first quarter.

PLDT broadband subscriber base hits 880,000 as of September

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) remains the country’s leading broadband service provider as its total broadband subscriber base reached 880,000 as of end-September this year.

During the third quarter of this year, the PLDT group added around 130,000 broadband subscribers.

The company earlier reported that total broadband subscribers as of June 30 exceeded 750,000 with total revenue contribution from broadband and Internet services at P4.9 billion, 48 percent higher than in the same period last year.

Consolidated capital expenditures for PLDT during the first half of 2008 was at P8.7 billion, with spending expected to accelerate in the second half, PLDT president and chief executive officer Napoleon Nazareno said.

He also revealed that the company intends to continue building out capacity and coverage of its wireless and broadband networks aggressively.

Nazareno added that the programmed spending budget for the group for 2008 had been raised to approximately P28.5 billion from an earlier figure of P25.4 billion.

He explained that the increase is attributable primarily to the wireless business where higher than expected wireless and broadband subscriber growth and accelerated investments in wireless broadband capacity will require a higher level of capex during the year.

The STAR also learned that PLDT Landline Plus (PLP), a fixed-wireless telephone service that uses a combined fixed and wireless platform in the delivery of fixed line voice and data services, registered a huge jump in its subscriber base to 200,000 as of end-September this year.

PLP is available in areas with limited or non-existent PLDT fixed facilities. A postpaid version has been in the market since March 2007 and a prepaid offering was introduced in March this year.

Company officials noted that demand for the service has been strong given the service’s value proposition. Subscribers to this service, net of churn, numbered 116,000 in end-June.

There were no available figures yet as far as the subscriber base for SmartBro, the wireless broadband service of PLDT’s main mobile phone unit Smart Communications.

PLDT earlier reported that wireless broadband subscriber base grew 35 percent for the first half of 2008 to reach 408,000 at end-June 2008, adding about 60,000 new subscribers for the second quarter alone.

Wireless broadband revenues grew 109 percent to about P1.9 billion in the first half of 2008, a significant improvement over the P930 million in the same period in 2007.

SmartBro’s prepaid Plug-It service, which was introduced in late March 2008, already has over 32,000 subscribers as of end-June, as it made the Internet available to a broader segment of the population with affordable sachet pricing, nationwide coverage and easy loading. Plug-It offers instant Internet access through a portable wireless modem and is available in all areas where Smart’s network coverage is present.

“We are excited by the early success of Plug-It’s prepaid version as it demonstrates that there is a strong demand for Internet access beyond the traditional postpaid market,” Smart chief wireless adviser Orlando Vea earlier noted.

Retail DSL continued to grow for PLDT as broadband subscribers grew by over 70,000 to 335,000 at the end of the first half 2008 from 264,000 at the end of 2007. PLDT DSL generated P2.5 billion in revenues for the first six months of 2008, up 44 percent from P1.8 billion in the same period in 2007, accounting for 51 percent of the PLDT Group’s broadband and Internet revenues for the period.

PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan emphasized that they have raised their capital expenditure forecast by P3.1 billion, in order to accelerate investments in wireless broadband and in their broader cellular infrastructure. – Mary Ann Reyes

Correct.

Alam ko bawal yan tulad ng sa PLDT-Smart-PILtel-CURE...Alam ko First Pacific
at NTT na ang dominant investors..

They are becoming another foreign oligopoly in the country.

Delikado yan. Foreign controlled ang telecom natin.

yung i-tax nga lang ang text ayaw nila. Ginagamit pa supposedly this text group etc. as front to fight government's attempt to a least get a slice of their humongous profit for education. These profits actually are just remitted out of the country draining our international reserves at the expense of Pinoys and for the benefits of again Indonesian-Chinese principals, Singaporeans and Japanese.

Di na talaga natuto mga Pinoy.Lagi tayo ang talo.

Lagi na lang ginigisa sa sariling mantika.


There is nothing wrong with foreign telco ownership. Singtel owns Optus, the second largest telco in Australia which includes about five commercial satellites and a military satellite joint venture. Since the take over in 2001, no one has accused or has proof that Singapore has been spying or snooping on Australians. Now, is there any proof that the Indonesians, Japanese and Singaporeans are spying on us or stealing our data?



Repatriation of income is just normal. I'm quite sure that if ever foreign companies do this it is minimal compared to what Philippine importers send abroad. It would be unfair if GSIS investments, Jollibee, ICTSI and San Miguel cannot repatriate its foreign earnings to the Philippines.



I'm glad foreign investors came in and invested in Philippine telcos. If PLDT is still a state owned company perhaps half of the country would still not have landlines and ADSL service.



The government should just run after big and small time tax evaders, smugglers and simplify the tax system. The amount that the government can collect by just doing that is significantly higher than what it can collect from SMS tax.

There is nothing wrong with foreign telco ownership. Singtel owns Optus, the second largest telco in Australia which includes about five commercial satellites and a military satellite joint venture. Since the take over in 2001, no one has accused or has proof that Singapore has been spying or snooping on Australians. Now, is there any proof that the Indonesians, Japanese and Singaporeans are spying on us or stealing our data?



Actually, there is really nothing wrong with foreign ownership of telco.

But the problem in our country is that there is a restriction on foreign ownership.

Another one is that the telecoms are acting like a oligopoly....

Now, I will ask you the same question, ?Is there a proof also that they are not spying or snopping at us?Or Singaporeans are not snopping around in Australia or the Philippines?



Repatriation of income is just normal. I'm quite sure that if ever foreign companies do this it is minimal compared to what Philippine importers send abroad. It would be unfair if GSIS investments, Jollibee, ICTSI and San Miguel cannot repatriate its foreign earnings to the Philippines.



I know. Its a fact. But this country has always been in perpetual BOP deficits. If not for the OFWs, we are dead. We are in constant need of foreign currency, and every dollar counts.



I'm glad foreign investors came in and invested in Philippine telcos. If PLDT is still a state owned company perhaps half of the country would still not have landlines and ADSL service.



Its ok for me too. But they should not be allowed to breach the limit.

PLDT is a private company. It was not a state company. So your argument that PLDT would still not have landlines and ADSL service is highly debatable.



The government should just run after big and small time tax evaders, smugglers and simplify the tax system. The amount that the government can collect by just doing that is significantly higher than what it can collect from SMS tax.


These are different issues.

I support PCCI's proposal to the president to tax these foreign owned telcos.

They should share their humongous profit and give back something to the Filipino nation that nurture them.

Paging texters!

Do not be deceived by the idea that you are the ones who will suffer if the government will impose tax on text. If oil and electricity-vital commodities- are now taxed by the government, why not a non-essential commodity called text?

The telcos (with billions of profit)can definitely absorb additional tax on text.

There is nothing wrong with foreign telco ownership...

Agree as long as they don't breach the statute on foreign ownership limit as stated in OUR Constitution. By the way, we're talking about our domestic telecoms industry and not Australians'. They need to respect our existing laws. Spying or snooping is not an issue here it's about law.

I'm glad foreign investors came in and invested in Philippine telcos...

Like you, I am glad too that they've invested in our domestic telecoms industry but please don't abuse our hospitality (e.g., breaching foreign ownership).

:cheers:Follow the law and everything is fine.


There is nothing wrong with foreign telco ownership. Singtel owns Optus, the second largest telco in Australia which includes about five commercial satellites and a military satellite joint venture. Since the take over in 2001, no one has accused or has proof that Singapore has been spying or snooping on Australians. Now, is there any proof that the Indonesians, Japanese and Singaporeans are spying on us or stealing our data?



Repatriation of income is just normal. I'm quite sure that if ever foreign companies do this it is minimal compared to what Philippine importers send abroad. It would be unfair if GSIS investments, Jollibee, ICTSI and San Miguel cannot repatriate its foreign earnings to the Philippines.



I'm glad foreign investors came in and invested in Philippine telcos. If PLDT is still a state owned company perhaps half of the country would still not have landlines and ADSL service.



The government should just run after big and small time tax evaders, smugglers and simplify the tax system. The amount that the government can collect by just doing that is significantly higher than what it can collect from SMS tax.

Actually, there is really nothing wrong with foreign ownership of telco.

But the problem in our country is that there is a restriction on foreign ownership.

Another one is that the telecoms are acting like a oligopoly....

Its ok for me too. But they should not be allowed to breach the limit.

There is nothing wrong with foreign telco ownership...

Agree as long as they don't breach the statute on foreign ownership limit as stated in OUR Constitution. By the way, we're talking about our domestic telecoms industry and not Australians'. They need to respect our existing laws. Spying or snooping is not an issue here it's about law.

I'm glad foreign investors came in and invested in Philippine telcos...

Like you, I am glad too that they've invested in our domestic telecoms industry but please don't abuse our hospitality (e.g., breaching foreign ownership).

:cheers:Follow the law and everything is fine.

That will make me concerned but shouldn't we all be "more" concerned that someone let this all happen?

Why did the government allow foreign investors to breech the 40% limit in the first place?

On oligopoly issues, isn't the NTC the regulatory watch dog to ensure that "reliable, affordable and viable infrastructure and services in information and communications technology (ICT) accessible to all (http://portal.ntc.gov.ph/wps/portal/!ut/p/.cmd/cs/.ce/7_0_A/.s/7_0_9Q/_s.7_0_A/7_0_9Q)."


Now, I will ask you the same question, ?Is there a proof also that they are not spying or snopping at us?Or Singaporeans are not snopping around in Australia or the Philippines?

As far as Australia is concerned, there is no proof of spying despite a foreign government indirectly has a stake in a government satellite program.

As far as the Philippines is concerned, the only spying is the alleged spying of intelligence agencies of the Philippines on "critics" and "enemies" of the administration.

If ever the Singaporeans, Japanese and Indonesians are spying and snooping what would they spy or snoop on? There is no classified Philippine government and military data of interest to them anyway. The Philippines does not have proprietary nuclear, ballistic missile, space and biological weapons technology anyway.

Would you possibly know important data that should never be seen by foreigners?

I know. Its a fact. But this country has always been in perpetual BOP deficits. If not for the OFWs, we are dead. We are in constant need of foreign currency, and every dollar counts.
(emphasis mine)
Based on BSP statistics (http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/sdds/boprevs/bop99-07.htm) from 1999 to 2007, the Philippines had a current account surplus for years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.

Overall BOP was positive (surplus) for years 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007

While the remittances of our OFWs are commendable, it is our exporters who are the largest contributors of dollars in our country. As of year end 2007 exports contributed $57.96 billion compared to the record high OFW remittances which amounted to $14.956 billion

Source: http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/sdds/boprevs/bop99-07.htm

PLDT is a private company. It was not a state company. So your argument that PLDT would still not have landlines and ADSL service is highly debatable.

PLDT became government owned when the PCGG sequestered (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/feb/09/yehey/opinion/20070209opi2.html) it in the 1980s

You know how inefficient most government agencies (like MWSS before Manila Water and Maynilad got their concessions) and corporations (like NAPOCOR) are.

These are different issues.

I support PCCI's proposal to the president to tax these foreign owned telcos.

They should share their humongous profit and give back something to the Filipino nation that nurture them.

Paging texters!

Do not be deceived by the idea that you are the ones who will suffer if the government will impose tax on text. If oil and electricity-vital commodities- are now taxed by the government, why not a non-essential commodity called text?

The telcos (with billions of profit)can definitely absorb additional tax on text.

The SMS tax is stupid. Just because the tax collection agencies cannot collect the right taxes and customs duties the government will just tax another sector to cover for its revenue shortfall.

It is like a land lord charging a higher rent to his paying tenants just because he cannot collect rent from his other tenants.

However, I will probably agree if the government will impose a tax, say five pesos for every stick of cigarettes and other tobacco products to help discourage smoking.

This is intesteresting Manila Times (10/7/2008) editorial piece regarding sms. I think NTC should look into AGHAM's allegations regarding the true cost of sending a text message using GSM technology. Im sure telecoms experts in the country knew about this but I was appalled no one is raising a ruckus about the anomalous situation.

Anyway another suggested tack is to impose a windfall tax similar to what is being advocated in the US regarding scandalous profits of big oil companies (e.g. Shelll, Chevron, etc).

Cheers! nice discussion

EDITORIAL

Never charge the public
a tax on text messages
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/oct/07/yehey/opinion/20081007opi1.html


We have always opposed plans to tax text messages. The latest news from Sen. Richard Gordon, the strongest proponent of Senate Bill 2402, is that the proposed law will contain provisions to make sure the telecommunications companies do not pass on the tax to customers.

That makes the proposal more palatable.

The bill is being supported in the House of Representatives by no less than Speaker Prospero Nograles. With the no pass-on-to-customers provision, it will probably get majority support in both chambers of Congress.

Malacañang and Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, who originally floated the idea, have wisely distanced themselves from “tax-text” proposals. They acquired this wisdom from the public revulsion they encountered after the NGO TXTPower mounted a campaign to oppose the tax.

As scientists and information-technology experts see it, telcos should actually give texting free to their customers. The telco owners and executives however say free texting is “unsustainable.”

AGHAM’s estimates

Dr. Giovanni Tapang, the lead convenor of the nationalist and pro-public-service association of scientists, engineers and technical experts, AGHAM, makes a simple calculation to estimate the cost of sending data through the cell phone network.

Dr. Tapang explains: “SMS, popularly known as text, is sent through the airwaves as data packets similar to the Internet that we are all familiar with. There are several ways to send these data over the cellular network.

“SMS was inherent in the design of the GSM [Global System for Mobile communications] network but is now carried over even in the newer 3G networks. For Internet rates, either through 3G or through GPRS [General packet radio service], telcos currently charge a flat rate of approximately P10 per half an hour for data transfer.

“At GPRS data rates, typically at 56 to 114 kilobits per second, this means that at its slowest speed, it can send out the whole of the Noli Me Tangere in around three minutes. At P10 for half an hour, sending the whole of Noli would cost around a little bit less P1. This work of Dr. Jose Rizal contains around 1.15 million characters while a single text message contains only 160 characters. This means that to send one text message costs around one hundredth [0.01] of a centavo! Even if you factor in for administrative costs, we would end up way below the fifty-centavo promotion price per text message. At slower GSM rates, the cost of sending a text would still be a fraction of a centavo. Using faster networks like the 3G would bring down this cost even further.”

Telcos now charge P1 per text message. Dr. Tapang and his AGHAM brethren think telcos should give their customers a refund. For even if administrative costs were added, the total cost of sending a text message would still be a fraction of centavo.

He says: “It has been argued that since SMS is an inherent and integral function in the design of the GSM system and its successors, it should have been given free as part of the use of the network. Telcos did not add anything to their towers to enable SMS, it was there in the system to start with. But even if we grant the claim of the telcos that SMS is a value added service, then the telcos should be able to tell us how much it costs to maintain the service since the Public Telecommunications Act of 1995 requires them to maintain separate books of accounts for these value added services.”
The Philippines is supposed to be the texting capital of the world. Texting has become one of the sources of joy to Filipinos, who are able to connect to each other often—family members specially—through SMS. It also helps the economy—many simple business transactions are now concluded through the cell phone text message.

Public must not be burdened

There is no reason for the public to be burdened with the text message tax. But there is every reason for the immensely profitable telcos to part with twenty centavos of their profit from their P1 charge per text message which basically costs only one hundredth of a centavo (excluding the administrative costs).

AGHAM says some 1.7 to 1.9 billion text messages are sent in the Philippines every day. Based only on 1.7 billion, at P0.20 per text message, the government will have new revenues of P340 million daily.

Very good. But the tax must never be levied on the public.

Our public officials are comfortable with the feeling that we Filipinos no longer have the appetite for uprisings and people-power revolts.

They will rue the day when they tax the people for text messages



The SMS tax is stupid. Just because the tax collection agencies cannot collect the right taxes and customs duties the government will just tax another sector to cover for its revenue shortfall.

It is like a land lord charging a higher rent to his paying tenants just because he cannot collect rent from his other tenants.

However, I will probably agree if the government will impose a tax, say five pesos for every stick of cigarettes and other tobacco products to help discourage smoking.[/QUOTE]

That will make me concerned but shouldn't we all be "more" concerned that someone let this all happen?

Why did the government allow foreign investors to breech the 40% limit in the first place?

On oligopoly issues, isn't the NTC the regulatory watch dog to ensure that "reliable, affordable and viable infrastructure and services in information and communications technology (ICT) accessible to all (http://portal.ntc.gov.ph/wps/portal/!ut/p/.cmd/cs/.ce/7_0_A/.s/7_0_9Q/_s.7_0_A/7_0_9Q)."


Paging SEC.


As far as Australia is concerned, there is no proof of spying despite a foreign government indirectly has a stake in a government satellite program.

As far as the Philippines is concerned, the only spying is the alleged spying of intelligence agencies of the Philippines on "critics" and "enemies" of the administration.

If ever the Singaporeans, Japanese and Indonesians are spying and snooping what would they spy or snoop on? There is no classified Philippine government and military data of interest to them anyway. The Philippines does not have proprietary nuclear, ballistic missile, space and biological weapons technology anyway.

Would you possibly know important data that should never be seen by foreigners?


Hmmmm....mining data...

(emphasis mine)
Based on BSP statistics (http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/sdds/boprevs/bop99-07.htm) from 1999 to 2007, the Philippines had a current account surplus for years 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007.

Overall BOP was positive (surplus) for years 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007



That is why I emphasized also that WITHOUT the NFIA (OFW remittances), we always experience BOP deficits...

Our trade deficits ( imports are greater that exports)alone (worth between 4-8 billion US dollars), profit repatriation of FDIs and debt service puts alot of drain to our BOP.

While the remittances of our OFWs are commendable, it is our exporters who are the largest contributors of dollars in our country. As of year end 2007 exports contributed $57.96 billion compared to the record high OFW remittances which amounted to $14.956 billion

Source: http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/sdds/boprevs/bop99-07.htm

Indeed, exports contribute to our foreign exchange but most of our exports are import-dependent. So instead of earning, we are losing money. Check the BSP or NSCB report on merchandise exports...

So take away, as I said the 14 billion dollar remittances of the OFW we are dead.



PLDT became government owned when the PCGG sequestered (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/feb/09/yehey/opinion/20070209opi2.html) it in the 1980s

You know how inefficient most government agencies (like MWSS before Manila Water and Maynilad got their concessions) and corporations (like NAPOCOR) are.


Sequestered only a part of PLDT.

Tony Boy Cojuangco nevertheless, remained at the helm. Run by private sectors and not the government.


The SMS tax is stupid. Just because the tax collection agencies cannot collect the right taxes and customs duties the government will just tax another sector to cover for its revenue shortfall.

It is like a land lord charging a higher rent to his paying tenants just because he cannot collect rent from his other tenants.

However, I will probably agree if the government will impose a tax, say five pesos for every stick of cigarettes and other tobacco products to help discourage smoking.


Its stupid for the telcos and not for the country as a whole

Again, I agree with PCCI, the government should tax texts and sin products as well.

Interesting observation by CFO Asia magazine. This was taken from an article written in 2000

"Restrictions on foreign ownership are a fact of life in most parts of Asia. When the industry is telecommunications, governments can be particularly restrictive. And when that market is the Philippines, well, the restrictions are stringent enough to make the boldest investor cry no contest and slink off.

But Globe Telecom, whose shareholders include Singapore Telecom International, showed an amazing amount of grit in its recent deal to expand in its own market. Now the second-largest telecom provider in the Philippines and eighth largest in Southeast Asia, Globe danced a merry jig around local codes restricting foreign ownership to achieve its goals. Its fancy footwork is a case study in how to gain capital from global markets without tussling with the watchdogs at home."

http://www.cfoasia.com/archives/200006-19.htm

Interesting observation by CFO Asia magazine. This was taken from an article written in 2000

"Restrictions on foreign ownership are a fact of life in most parts of Asia. When the industry is telecommunications, governments can be particularly restrictive. And when that market is the Philippines, well, the restrictions are stringent enough to make the boldest investor cry no contest and slink off.

But Globe Telecom, whose shareholders include Singapore Telecom International, showed an amazing amount of grit in its recent deal to expand in its own market. Now the second-largest telecom provider in the Philippines and eighth largest in Southeast Asia, Globe danced a merry jig around local codes restricting foreign ownership to achieve its goals. Its fancy footwork is a case study in how to gain capital from global markets without tussling with the watchdogs at home."

http://www.cfoasia.com/archives/200006-19.htm

Paging SEC!:bash:

May ginawa pala ang DOJ (2006) dati na inbestigasyon pero hanggang ngayon wlang lumabas na resulta.

Tsk Tsk tsk....

Im doing some research on PLDT's ownership structure. Unang bungad palang napakomplikado na. Pero ilalabas ko ito cc ko DOJ hehehehhe!

Malapit na






Telephone company faces suit over foreign ownership
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2006/09/15/news/telephone.company.faces.suit.over.foreign.ownership.html


CRIMINAL charges for violation of the anti-dummy law could be filed against incorporators of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Company, if there is any evidence proving that its foreign investors owned more than 40 percent of the company.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. said that he will ask the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into the reports of Malaya newspaper that a public utility such as PLDT is being controlled by foreign equity.


However, he said he is wont in ordering the NBI to probe the telephone company because no substantive evidence or formal complaint has been raised to merit an investigation.

"Since there is no substantial evidence yet, I don’t want to order an investigation that will appear as if we are harassing businessmen. The policy of the government is to encourage businessmen to come in," he said.

Gonzalez said he has heard about foreign owners in PLDT before the article came out but he is wary that any move from government might alarm foreigners wanting to invest in the country.

"If we have something more than stories circulating around, yes, we will investigate. But we don't want to unnecessarily appear like harassing business, big businessmen like them," he said.

He said once it is proven that more than 40 percent of PLDT's equity is owned by foreign investors, the incorporators could be held liable for violation of Republic Act (RA) 2937 or the Anti-Dummy Act. The law provides that "any person, corporation, or association which, having in its name or under its control, a right, franchise, privilege, property or business, the exercise or enjoyment of which is expressly reserved by the Constitution or the laws to citizens of the Philippines or of any other specific country, or to corporations or associations at least sixty per centum of the capital of which is owned by such citizens in any matter."

Section 806 of RA 2937 also requires that the President or managing directors of such corporations/associations are Filipinos.

In a report citing submissions to the New York Stock Exchange where PLDT and its major foreign investor, First Pacific, are listed, the investments of PCD Nominees Corporation, presumed to be an arm of First Pacific registered in Bermuda, are stated at 31.23 percent.

Together with JP Morgan Hong Kong Nominees Corp. (Hong Kong) with an investment of 16.37 percent, NTT Communications Corp. (Japanese), with 6.91 percent and NTT Docomo (Japanese), with 6.91 percent, the total foreign holdings of common shares in PLDT come up to 60.4 per cent.

The submissions are not identical to disclosures made to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), where PLDT is also listed.

In the company profile submitted to the NYSE, PCD Nominees Corporation, with 31.23 percent, is described as foreign. The same company with identical equity is described as "various" in submissions to the PSE.

The number of PLDT board seats was recently increased from nine to 13. NTT has been allowed to nominate two seats. First Pacific is entitled to six or a total of eight members nominated by foreign stockholders. This is equivalent to 60 percent of the board seats and identical to the extent of foreign holdings.

At Malacañang, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said he will look into reports that the foreign equity of the PLDT.

“I am not conservant with it. I will have to look at it so that next time when you ask me I can answer you intelligently. I am not familiar with the makeup of the sharing and the board membership of the PLDT,” Ermita said in his weekly press briefing in Malacañang.

He said he might ask the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to help him. (ECV/JMR/Sunnex)


Paging SEC!:bash:

May ginawa pala ang DOJ (2006) dati na inbestigasyon pero hanggang ngayon wlang lumabas na resulta.

Tsk Tsk tsk....

Im doing some research on PLDT's ownership structure. Unang bungad palang napakomplikado na. Pero ilalabas ko ito cc ko DOJ hehehehhe!

Malapit na




If proven guilty,its owners and management jailed. In other countries they cannot do this, how come in the Philippines they act as if they are untouchables...

First Pacific-NTT of PLDT and Ayala-Singtel should be investigated if indeed they are guilty of violating the anti-dummy law.:bash:

Paging SEC and DOJ!:bash:

This was taken from business mirror article dated Nov 7. 2006


On dummies, record stockholders, nominees and beneficial owners
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/1107-Tue/comp05.php

LAWYER Perfecto R. Yasay Jr., a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), says the Philippines needs constitutional amendments that would liberalize the ownership of companies engaged in certain industries that remain the exclusive domain of Filipinos, either as the sole owners or majority stockholders owning at least 60 percent of outstanding capital stock.

In developed countries like the United Kingdom and the US, foreigners are even allowed to own public utilities but with regulatory agencies given ample powers to regulate the former’s operations, noted Yasay.

Yasay is not alone in suggesting a constitutional amendment that would allow foreigners to own land, or at least the houses they live in while in this country. As they are prohibited from owning a house, some go to the extent of “marrying for convenience” to be able to live here. This is a “rampant violation of the constitution,” a phrase Yasay used in referring to the circumvention of the ownership restriction if only to live and invest in this country.

He did not name names or identify those who have either tried or are still trying to go around the constitution in evading a 60-40 ownership structure in favor of Filipinos. But having been SEC chairman, he know a lot about the “dummy system” in this country—that a lawyer holding shares for his principal is not a dummy but a nominee.

What the ordinary person may not understand is that anybody other than a lawyer, who hides such ownership for some stockholders, becomes a dummy and thus is criminally liable under the law.

YASAY may also be aware of the ownership structure of a Philippine corporation that may include common voting shares and preferred shares. The latter may be voting and nonvoting, redeemable or convertible.

All these shares are still included in computation of equity structure to determine the ratio of ownership between Filipinos and foreigners, even as the SEC has consistently ruled that such computation should be based only on the number of common voting shares as provided for under the law.

Even under the new accounting reporting standards, redeemable preferred shares are no longer included in the stockholders’ equity but are now rightly defined as liabilities. For example, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. charges to income the interest earnings due the holders of preferred redeemable shares. (Despite this, listed companies still use dividends in announcing earnings of redeemable preferred shares.)

FINALLY, Yasay may also be aware of another way to circumvent the law—in this country, a stockholder may not only be a dummy/nominee, but also a “record stockholder.” A record stockholder is in fact only a nominee. Even the general information sheets filed by companies registered with the SEC are not informative enough for research purposes—they list only record stockholders and not the beneficial or real owners.

It was not only during Yasay’s term as SEC chairman that this situation existed—it has been going on, perhaps since the SEC began as corporate regulator in 1936.

To correct the system, the SEC plans to undertake a study of the ownership structure of a foreigner-controlled conglomerate to determine if its subsidiaries are in compliance with the 60 percent to 40 percent ownership structure in favor of Filipinos.

However, this study, if the SEC pushes through with it, is not the best move to make foreigners comply with the law, for it might create uncertainties among foreign investors who continue to take considerable risks in investing their money here.
================================================
end




This is disheartening. Former SEC Chairman Perfecto Yasay, in his observation, captured it succintly the wanton disrergard of our corporate enforcement regulations in the country. That's way companies, especially those in telecoms, are exploiting to the hilt the "unpluggable" loopholes in our system. In the end, foreign principals are the ones benefitting of the on-going telecom boom.

Woes to Manny Pangilinan, Nazareno, et al for allowing themselves to be lackeys of the foreign capitalists who are exploiting us.

So sad, its seems no one is respecting us anymore!

^^^^

Agree here!:cheers:

SingTel Now Owns Over 47% of Globe Telecom
Posted Jun 29, 2008. Written by Rico.
http://technogra.ph/20080629/sections/news/singtel-now-owns-even-more-of-globe-telecom/


Last Friday, SingTel announced that it has increased its stake in Globe Telecom, purchasing shares from local partner Ayala Corporation to the tune of “4,598 million pesos ($140 million), or 1,210 pesos per share.” (source).

This development effectively bumps up SingTel’s ownership of the company to about 47.34%. Ayala Corporation’s stake now hovers near 31%. Over 21% of Globe stock is in public hands. Philippine law restricts foreign ownership of local companies within certain businesses.

It’s probable that SingTel expects Globe Telecom to become an even more profitable investment, despite Globe declaring that it would be hard to achieve a double-digit growth for this year. Last fiscal year, the Philippine telco contributed over $317 million to SingTel’s bottom line.

Is the Singaporean company confident in the iPhone 3G’s future in the Philippines? Globe Telecom is set to release Apple’s smartphone locally by August of this year.

In any case, the report says that “Globe’s mobile subscribers rose 26 per cent to 21.3 million from a year ago.” Which makes us imagine many Filipinos going “You can have my cellphone when you pry them from my cold, dead hands.”



tsk! tsk! tsk! talagang bastusan na pala!

SingTel Now Owns Over 47% of Globe Telecom
Posted Jun 29, 2008. Written by Rico.
http://technogra.ph/20080629/sections/news/singtel-now-owns-even-more-of-globe-telecom/


Last Friday, SingTel announced that it has increased its stake in Globe Telecom, purchasing shares from local partner Ayala Corporation to the tune of “4,598 million pesos ($140 million), or 1,210 pesos per share.” (source).

This development effectively bumps up SingTel’s ownership of the company to about 47.34%. Ayala Corporation’s stake now hovers near 31%. Over 21% of Globe stock is in public hands. Philippine law restricts foreign ownership of local companies within certain businesses.

It’s probable that SingTel expects Globe Telecom to become an even more profitable investment, despite Globe declaring that it would be hard to achieve a double-digit growth for this year. Last fiscal year, the Philippine telco contributed over $317 million to SingTel’s bottom line.

Is the Singaporean company confident in the iPhone 3G’s future in the Philippines? Globe Telecom is set to release Apple’s smartphone locally by August of this year.

In any case, the report says that “Globe’s mobile subscribers rose 26 per cent to 21.3 million from a year ago.” Which makes us imagine many Filipinos going “You can have my cellphone when you pry them from my cold, dead hands.”



tsk! tsk! tsk! talagang bastusan na pala!

PAGING SEC AT GOVERNMENT REGULATORS!BAWAL ITO! KAYA BINABASTOS TAYO NG TAGA IBANG BANSA E! (ALL CAPS TO EMPHASIZED MY FRUSTRATION AND INDIGNATION)

My letter to SEC Commissioner Raul Palabrica. I hope he will reply.


Sir:

I accidentally stumbled on your old article regarding foreign ownership limit law: "Skirting ownership limits" PDI Aug 3, 2007. It seems that corporations, especially the foreign telecom firms, are not serious or have a low regard on our own foreign ownership limit law as laid down in our very own Constitution. I find this very, very disturbing. Lately, i came across an article regarding Singtel's stake in Globe Telecoms (see, article below). This confirmed my suspicion: no one is taking us seriously.They just flaunt it as if taunting our government.


SingTel raises stake in Globe to 47.34%
http://yieldstocks.blogspot.com/2008/06/singtel-bt_28.html


SINGAPORE Telecom is raising its stake in associate Globe Telecom to 47.34 per cent from 44.47 per cent.

In a statement yesterday, SingTel said that it will pay Ayala Corporation 4,598 million pesos ($140 million), or 1,210 pesos per share, for 3.8 million shares in Globe, the second largest telco in the Philippines.

According to Bloomberg, Ayala owned 33.3 per cent of Globe before the deal.

SingTel said that the price was arrived at on a willing-seller willing-buyer basis, taking into account projected future cash flows, comparables and the prevailing market price.

On Thursday, the closing price of Globe on the Philippine Stock Exchange was 1,185 pesos.

SingTel bought its initial 44.47 per cent stake in Globe in 1993 for $882 million.

'This transaction is in keeping with our strategy to increase our holdings in our regional associates when the conditions are right,' said SingTel spokesman Chia Boon Chong.

SingTel has said that its acquisition strategy is to raise stakes in associates or invest in new markets, focusing on Asia.

In September last year, SingTel spent $1.17 billion on a 30 per cent stake in Warid Telecom, Pakistan's fourth-largest mobile operator, with 14 million customers.

For SingTel's financial year ended March 31, 2008, Globe's pre-tax profit contribution to the group was up 9.4 per cent to $317 million, benefiting from 8 per cent appreciation of the peso.

For the first quarter of 2008, Globe reported core net income of 3.5 billion pesos, down 4 per cent as customers cut spending while struggling to cope with rising food and fuel prices.

Globe president Gerardo Ablaza said in April that sales were weakening and it would be difficult to match last year's double-digit growth rate.

The Philippines' economic growth is expected to ease from last year's 31-year high of 7.3 per cent as a possible recession in the US, its main trading partner, hits exports and as rising inflation crimps consumer spending.

The World Bank expects growth in the Philippines to slow to 5.9 per cent this year.

But the economic slowdown has not dampened new cellphone subscriptions. Globe's mobile subscribers rose 26 per cent to 21.3 million from a year ago.

Globe has 38 per cent of the Philippine mobile industry, against rival PLDT's 55 per cent

My letter to SEC Commissioner Raul Palabrica. I hope he will reply.




He has to do something about this.

Thai firm invests $15M in RP

By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20081109-171181/Thai-firm-invests-15M-in-RP)
First Posted 19:34:00 11/09/2008

BANGKOK-BASED Thaicom Public Co. Ltd. has invested $15 million to provide satellite broadband services in the Philippines.

With only 1 million broadband subscribers out of a population of about 90 million, Thaicom believes there is a market for its wireless broadband product called Ipstar, which is like satellite cable but instead of broadcasts, the consumer gets Internet access.

Patompob Suwansiri, head of marketing for Ipstar, said in an interview that Thaicom has already spent $500 million to put up the satellite system over Asia Pacific, of which $15 million was invested for the Philippines alone.

"The system is already there, ready to be used even in disaster areas, in remote islands," he said.


* * * * * * *

hindi yata kumagat ang DECT sa atin ah? :)
DECT or Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications

Anyone here who has a umobile? has your red mobile sim arrived?

Thai firm invests $15M in RP

By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20081109-171181/Thai-firm-invests-15M-in-RP)
First Posted 19:34:00 11/09/2008

BANGKOK-BASED Thaicom Public Co. Ltd. has invested $15 million to provide satellite broadband services in the Philippines.

With only 1 million broadband subscribers out of a population of about 90 million, Thaicom believes there is a market for its wireless broadband product called Ipstar, which is like satellite cable but instead of broadcasts, the consumer gets Internet access.

Patompob Suwansiri, head of marketing for Ipstar, said in an interview that Thaicom has already spent $500 million to put up the satellite system over Asia Pacific, of which $15 million was invested for the Philippines alone.

"The system is already there, ready to be used even in disaster areas, in remote islands," he said.


* * * * * * *




meron na akong quotation nito, sana maganda ang performance, pero nabasa ko sa mga forums ok namn daw

COVINGTON, La. – A man says his cell phone saved his life. A stray .45-caliber bullet hit R.J. Richard's chest while he was mowing the lawn — hitting so hard he thought it was a stone kicked out by his tractor. He pulled out the phone. It fell apart.

The 68-year-old man was bruised. He said doctors told him two things prevented worse injury, maybe even death: the phone, and the fact that the bullet came in at an angle rather than head-on.

Reports of pocket Bibles saving their owners' lives pop up every so often. Richard says he's sure that God told him to put the phone in his overalls chest pocket rather than a pants pocket as usual. He said that Saturday's incident increased his faith.

He figured the bullet was fired by a hunter in woods near his 5-acre property.

wimax talaga hinihintay ko

Anyone here who has a umobile? has your red mobile sim arrived?

Smart unit revamps mobile brand, tack
By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:50:00 11/22/2008

Smart Communications Inc. subsidiary Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise Inc. (CURE) has replaced its advertising-based business model with a new offering called “red Mobile,” which features P0.50-per-minute calls.

“At just P.050 per call for red mobile-to-red-mobile subscribers, consumers can enjoy the lowest per-minute rate in the country. Also, red mobile allows mobile users to place phone calls down to their very last 50-centavo load and make the most out of what they spend on prepaid credits,” CURE said in a statement Friday.

In May, a month after Smart bought out CURE’s parent companies, the new 3G player launched the first ad-supported platform in Asia under the u-mobile brand.

CURE’s strategy was to get advertisers to sponsor text messages and calls by signing up only 15- to 35-year-olds—the target market of many consumer products. But take-up and interconnection problems progressed slowly. CURE stopped accepting new subscribers starting Sept. 1 as it focused on integrating its systems and facilities with that of Smart.
Having completed its system integration work, CURE decided to start fresh with a new brand which customer care representatives said was an “upgrade” of u-mobile. Existing subscribers of u-mobile, whose numbers are undisclosed, are automatically migrated to red Mobile.

There may already be about 65 million or more mobile subscribers out of the Philippines’ population of 90 million. Smart has 34.2 million subscribers on its GSM network as of end-September 2008 while rival Globe Telecom Inc. has 23.7 million subscribers.

And with annual mobile growth tapering off, it will be tough going for any new mobile player. But CURE said that it could make a dent in the saturated mobile telecommunications market by attracting customers who wanted to maximize their load credits while still enjoying good mobile coverage.

CURE said that it could provide “clear connections and countrywide 3G coverage” to address market demand for better coverage from operators, especially those who have unlimited calling promotions.

www.redmobile.com (http://www.redmobile.com)

^^judging from all at their TV ads, red Mobile aims to compete with Sun Cellular.

^^yup. may katapat na ang Sun..bat red?

wimax talaga hinihintay ko

malapit na yan, on-going na ang trial ng Smart at globe sa technology na yan. :cheers:

Aside from the constitutional limit on foreign ownership, is there something inherently evil or immoral in foreign ownership?

He has to do something about this.

must also cc: the chairman of the congressional committee on telecommunications and the senate's equivalent and other relevant congressmen and senators. after all, almost every telecom firm has a congressional franchise.

malapit na yan, on-going na ang trial ng Smart at globe sa technology na yan. :cheers:

Sana nga. 12mbps lang ang max residential line natin cable pa. lol.

Anyone here has tried Red Mobile?

Globe cuts 2009 capex in line with prudent investment stance
Philstar.com
Philstar.com - Thursday, November 13

Ayala-owned Globe Telecom is reducing its capital expenditure budget next year from this year's $420 million budget as the company takes on a more prudent view towards investments until such time the market stabilizes.
ADVERTISEMENT

Globe president and CEO Gerardo Ablaza said in prioritizing the 2009 capex, the spend will be calibrated to developments in both the consumer and credit markets.

Part of Globe's capex for next year will still be financed via internally generated funds. A portion will also come from the proceeds of the P4 billion to P5 billion retail bond issue in the first quarter of 2009.

In anticipation of tougher times ahead, Ablaza said Globe is undertaking defensive moves to protect its financial position.

These include accelerating the borrowing program for 2009 in order to lock away financing for the year, tightening the monitoring of receivables and working capital, reviewing counterparty risks for money market placements and short-term investments, and prioritizing next year's capex.

But while next year's capex will be lower than this year's, the profile will relatively be the same. Ablaza said there will still be a significant commitment for broadband, mostly in the wireless arena. Globe will likewise continue to spend for WiMax and 3G HSDPA.

Globe is, however, extra cautious about spending for mobile, especially since a large part of its market is vulnerable to the current economic condition. "At the least, we are bringing up capacity to accommodate the growth. It would be imprudent for us to just continue spending when the market is softening," the Globe CEO said.

Ablaza noted that growth is still expected in the fourth quarter with the holiday spend. However, market uncertainties make even short-term forecasting very challenging, he said. While OFW remittances are still growing, there is a weakness in both consumer and business confidence, requiring a more prudent strategy for next year.

He also revealed that Globe is undertaking several initiatives this year and next year, including increasing the company's share of mobile spend, significantly growing their broadband subscriber base, tapping new business opportunities, and managing financial risks to include defending Globe's financial position, managing liquidity and foreign exchange risks.

Globe's top official likewise disclosed that the company is building broadband momentum.

"Our WiMax is now on air. The rollout is on track and the system is being fine tuned for commercial launch very soon," Ablaza said. Globe is launching its WiMax service in the first quarter of next year.

He noted that the company's fixed and wireless broadband business had its highest quarterly net additions during the third quarter of 2008 at 29,000. Total broadband subscriber base for Globe is at 175,000 as of end-September 2008, a 51 percent increase from 116,000 in the same period last year.

As for the mobile phone service business, Globe chief financial officer Delfin Gonzalez noted that churn rates are up year-on-year reflecting a more challenging market environment.

He said those in the lower income bracket are more predisposed to disposing off their SIMs and then buying new ones when their incomes allow. "Thus, we have to drive brand loyalty to hold churn rate to more manageable levels," he added.

Average revenue per unit (ARPU), meanwhile, has shown a declining trend, driven by increasing multi-SIM usage, lower subscriber activity levels, and continued expansion by Globe into lower income mass markets.

Compared with the third quarter of 2008, however, the first two months of the last quarter are showing signs of improvement. Ablaza revealed that average top-ups for October and November are firming up compared with the third quarter levels. "We are optimistic that we will see some uplift in the fourth quarter," he said.

From a 70 percent SIM penetration rate to date, Ablaza expects the number to increase to 72 percent by yearend. - Mary Ann Ll. Reyes (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)


**************************************************************************************************

bilisan nyo na please. cancel ko na lang satellite internet

Aside from the constitutional limit on foreign ownership, is there something inherently evil or immoral in foreign ownership?

As long as they follow our laws here, just like how they follow their laws in their home country...and..

...as long as they provide meaningful investments here, foreigners are very welcome because FDIs are good source of capital and technology..

anu yung WIMax?

anu yung WIMax?

sabi ng wiki:D

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a telecommunications technology that provides for the wireless transmission of data using a variety of transmission modes, from point-to-point links to portable internet access[citation needed]. The technology provides up to 75 Mb/sec symmetric broadband speed without the need for cables. The technology is based on the IEEE 802.16 standard (also called Broadband Wireless Access). The name "WiMAX" was created by the WiMAX Forum, which was formed in June 2001 to promote conformity and interoperability of the standard. The forum describes WiMAX as "a standards-based technology enabling the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL"[1] (and also to High Speed Packet Access).

ahhh...tnx amigo32:)..hehe, katamad magresearch eh:lol:

must also cc: the chairman of the congressional committee on telecommunications and the senate's equivalent and other relevant congressmen and senators. after all, almost every telecom firm has a congressional franchise.

Yup, right.

But concern government agencies must act now because this violation of the constitutional limit on foreign ownership sends a wrong signal to other investors that they can violate philippine laws with impunity.

Small telco asks appeals court to decide on 3G license issue

Written by Lenie Lectura / Reporter
Sunday, 30 November 2008 20:34

AZ Communications Network Inc., a phone company whose application to operate a 3G (third generation) mobile communications network was denied by the regulators, has asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to nullify the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) previous orders and order the agency to grant the company a 3G permit.

AZ is the third 3G applicant to have sought the CA’s assistance to overturn the NTC’s orders, which effectively denied their 3G applications in 2005 as well as their appeals filed before the commission in August of this year.

Bayan Telecommunications Inc. and Multi-Media Telephony Inc. (MMTI) also elevated their cases before the CA. The applications of Next Mobile Inc. and Pacific Wireless were also denied by the NTC.

In its petition for review, AZ argued that the NTC should have classified the company as a “new public telecommunications entity [PTE]” rather than an “existing duly authorized PTE.”

For new players, the minimum paidup capital stock was set at P100 million, while existing carriers were required to post a debt-to-equity ratio of 70:30 with total investments in its cellular network amounting to at least P400 million.

The NTC also classified Smart Communications Inc., Globe Telecom, Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc., Bayan, and MMTI as existing cellular mobile telephone system providers.

AZ’s 3G application was denied by the NTC because it failed to meet the required debt-equity ratio.

“The NTC is mistaken in its application of the debt-to-equity ratio. As a new PTE, as opposed to a duly authorized PTE, AZ’s financial capability to operate a 3G network should have been evaluated pursuant to Sec. 3.3 (b) of the NTC’s 07-08-2005 memorandum circular and not under Sec. 3.3 [c],” said AZ.

AZ also said that it had committed to infuse over P2.7 billion in share capital for
capital requirements in the first year of operation in addition to the P425.6-million working capital infusion during its preoperating phase. “There is, therefore, no basis for the NTC’s findings that AZ’s present equity position renders it financial incapable of undertaking the proposed 3G project,” it said.

Besides, AZ said, the NTC circular provides for a financial solution to an applicant’s qualification requirements by providing under Sec. 7.1 (b) that successful applicants shall be required to increase their paid capital to P400 million not later than 30 days from the date of assignment of 3G frequencies.

“Hence, the capitalization issue should not have been taken against AZ considering that it is prepared to invest up to P425.6 million in the pre-operating phase of its 3G project once granted and considering further that it only needs P86 million to comply with the P400-million paidup capital requirement,” said AZ.

AZ claimed it is financially qualified to undertake the establishment of its proposed 3G network. “AZ maintains that it is legally and technically qualified to be granted the license applied for,” the company said.

Dapata bawiin ng NTC ang 4th 3G license franchise ng CURE (Red Mobile). Since it is a wholly owned by PLDT, it is now presently just riding on Smart's 3G network. So at present, it is still a 3 player field. We need a genuine 4th player and 5th player.

Dapata bawiin ng NTC ang 4th 3G license franchise ng CURE (Red Mobile). Since it is a wholly owned by PLDT, it is now presently just riding on Smart's 3G network. So at present, it is still a 3 player field. We need a genuine 4th player and 5th player.

Agree!:)

i dont really know where to post this...but the news is really inspiring...the change that we need! innovation and invention!..i dont know how to post pics..hehe...


for further info just search inovent through the net...



RP firm unveils interactive device


By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:39:00 12/05/2008


MAKATI CITY -- After keeping it under wraps for months, the group of young Filipino engineers and designers have unveiled a prototype of what it claims to be the next generation interactive device.

It is called the "Ilumina" interactive television and it already has one patent pending for its curved design.

Inovent (inoventrevolution.wordpress.com) showed an "ultra-alpha prototype" of the Ilumina last Sunday in a simple gathering with the goal of highlighting the concept of research, development and design (RDD) in the Philippines.

Inovent is composed of no more than eight people, some graduates from the University of the Philippines, Ateneo De Manila and De La Salle University.

The Ilumina is a television panel integrated with computer components installed in a handmade fiberglass bezel. It is the bezel's inward curved design that Inovent has patented with the Intellectual Property Office Philippines.

The Ilumina's basic component is its 32-inch LCD TV panel. Inside it are computer parts that run a scaled-down version of Ubuntu Linux operating system.

With a flick of a button, the TV interface changes to the Iluma's user interface that provides access to features, such as video and music playback and Internet.

While the TV source still requires a physical cable, the Internet connectivity only requires a wireless fidelity (Wifi) access point, as the Ilumina has a built-in Wifi receiver. It also has a web camera that will allow users to do video chat while accessing the web or watching TV.

Apart from the regular TV remote, the Ilumina also uses wireless keyboards and mouse for computer applications.

It also has a USB (universal serial bus) port for connection to other external peripherals.

The Ilumina concept has not been used in other commercial products. Inovent Chief "Inoventor" Brian Quebengco said the idea is not new. Some of the parts used in the Ilumina are off-the-shelf electronic components that were pieced together to fit in a slim casing.

"You will be surprise at how our developers made these components fit together. The parts had to be modified to make them work well," Quebengco said.

Quebengco said the main highlight of the Ilumina is its design, which the local company has filed for patents early this year, as well as its software.

The bezel design, which is curved inwards, allows the unit to stand on its own, removing the need for a removable stand normally used in many LCD TVs.

While still in its "ultra-alpha" prototype stage, the developers will be adding new features in the Ilumina, which Quebengco declined to describe.

"It's not something new as well but when you see it in a well--packaged product, it becomes an innovation. There's still a lot we're working on but this is to just highlight what we can achieve," he added.

Quebengco said they are looking at a six- to eight-month period for the launch of a commercially ready Ilumina model. He is hoping that the price of the device will not go above five digits.

"What's to be proud here is that we have people who are innovating and designing things for a global market. We also hope to encourage and inspire others to do the same," Quebengco said.

meron na akong quotation nito, sana maganda ang performance, pero nabasa ko sa mga forums ok namn daw

hey amigo, how can i contact Thaicom? Can i have their contact details? tnx... :)

hey amigo, how can i contact Thaicom? Can i have their contact details? tnx... :)

Are you in Manila right now? check this out http://www.philsat.com/contacts.html

Thanks Amigo, i'll check it out.. yup, i'm in Manila... :)

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 17:47:00 12/08/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. has entered into a joint venture with Qatar Telecom to provide broadband and mobile telecom services in the Philippines, a company statement said Monday.

"San Miguel believes the Filipino consumer will be the ultimate beneficiary of its intended investments since customers will now have access to a reliable service provider offering affordable high-speed wireless broadband and communication solutions," the statement added.

It did not state how much Manila-based San Miguel would be investing in the joint venture or when it would start services.

San Miguel spokesmen declined to elaborate further.

The company is involved in beer, beverages, liquor, dairy products and food processing but it has been branching out in recent months and officials say they are eyeing investments in power, utilities, oil and mining.

http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20081208-176823/San-Miguel-forms-jv-with-Qatar-Telecom

San Miguel Corp, one of Southeast Asia's largest diversified conglomerates, announced Monday that it is planning to form a joint venture with Qatar Telecom QSC (QTEL) to enter the wireless broadband business in the Philippines.

San Miguel and QTEL did not provide details on how much the they will be investing in this new venture, and what market and area in the Philippines they will focus on.

State-owned QTEL, an integrated telecommunications player in Qatar, has an aggregate subscriber base of 55 million from 16 countries where it operates GSM or WiMax services. It has been expanding its WiMax services in several emerging markets as it hopes to join the ranks of top 20 telecommunication companies in the world. It recently acquired Indonesia's second largest mobile operator for $1.8 billion.

On the other hand, San Miguel, which has a strong cash position after several asset divestments here and abroad, has been on a buying binge. It just recently clinched a total of about P36 billion direct and indirect stakes in Meralco, the country's biggest power retailer.

Today, it also announced a P32.8 billion deal to acquire majority stake in Petron Corp, the country's largest oil refiner and retailer. San Miguel is buying the stake from investment firm, Ashmore group, which just finalized its purchase of the remaining shares of the government in Petron. Ashmore, which now holds about 90 percent of Petron, is likely to sell about 50.1 percent of its shares in Petron to San Miguel at a price at par with its purchase price.

In a statement, San Miguel said it is entering the capital intensive telecommunications business because "SMC believes that the Filipino consumer will be the ultimate beneficiary of its intended investments...Customers will now have access to a reliable service provider offering affordable high-speed wireless broadband and communication solutions."

Existing players

The San Miguel and QTEL joint venture will make them the newest entrant in the country's broadband sphere.

Current players in the local broadband market include incumbent domestic and international fixed-line and wireless services provider, Philippines Long Distance Company (PLDT), Ayala family-led Globe Telecoms, Lopez family-led Bayan Communications, Gokongwei family-led Digital Telecommunications, and recent entrant, Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprises (CURE).

Although on a steady increase, broadband subscribers represented only a fraction of all Internet subscribers in the country. However, the Internet sector is well positioned for growth, with a deregulated market, strong government support for IT development and an increasingly Internet savvy population.

In 2008 there was a significant surge in broadband uptake, with total subscribers believed to have breached the 1 million level from just about 340,000 in end-2006. Much of the growth can be attributed to the expansion of PLDT's SmartBro wireless broadband, which added 65,000 new subscribers in the third quarter alone. As of end-September, SmartBro had a total of 473,000 subscribers, pushing PLDT's total wireless and fixed line subscriber base to 880,000.

Rival Globe Telecom, meanwhile, said it is significantly growing its broadband subscriber base, which has reached 175,000 as of end-September this year.

Dominant PLDT has the most extensive nationwide domestic fiber optic network and microwave long-distance network. But because the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,100 islands, remains to have low fixed-line penetration, a growing broadband offering is to piggy-back this with mobile infrastructure or other wireless- or satellite-based network.

Since 2007, PLDT itself has stopped looking towards the wireline telecoms market and instead is investing in wireless broadband cell sites, 3G mobile network rollout and its call-centre business.

Lopez cable firm, SkyCable, however, continues to bank on its existing cable infrastructure to offer wireline broadband services to residential consumers through its SkyBroadband brand. SkyCable allocated P500 million for 2009 to expand its broadband services, and increase its current 10,000 subscribers.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/12/08/08/san-miguel-enters-broadband-market-qatar-telco

San Miguel might be our answer to Sony, Samsung, etc.

ngek., kailangan 3g ang mobile mo just to use red mobile. uber baduy. sun cell parin ako. :) hahaha. :)

or maybe i'll wait for "SanMig Cell" hahaha.

balita ko may libreng beer grande pag nag subscribe ka ng wimax ng SanMig:D


lagi tayo lashing nyan, every load may beer na libre:D

ngek., kailangan 3g ang mobile mo just to use red mobile. uber baduy. sun cell parin ako. :) hahaha. :)

or maybe i'll wait for "SanMig Cell" hahaha.

I think Qtel and San MIguel are buying Liberty Telecom.

Dapata bawiin ng NTC ang 4th 3G license franchise ng CURE (Red Mobile). Since it is a wholly owned by PLDT, it is now presently just riding on Smart's 3G network. So at present, it is still a 3 player field. We need a genuine 4th player and 5th player.

so dapat din bang bawiin ng NTC ang 2G license ng Islacom dahil pagmamay-ari rin ito ng Globe? Nong ma grant ng NTC ang 3G license ng CURE ay hindi pa ito nabili ng PLDT gaya ng sitwaston noon ng Islacom. :)

I think Qtel and San MIguel are buying Liberty Telecom.

What's Liberty Telecom? Is that a Pinoy corporation?

What's Liberty Telecom? Is that a Pinoy corporation?

yup, it's a local telecom company and it's been in the industry for quite sometime.

I wonder who will be the front. Is it Liberty, SanMig or QTel? or they'll establish a new company just like SunCellular of the Gokongwei's.

Business Mirror

SMC’s telco foray fast-tracked

Top News

Written by Honey Madrilejos-Reyes and Lenie Lectura / Reporters
Thursday, 11 December 2008 00:25

IT looks like San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) entry to the highly competitive telecommunications market will be realized sooner than expected.

This as Ramon Ang, president and chief executive of SMC, now sits as chairman of Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc., replacing Gilbert Dee. The SMC executive also replaced Raymond Moreno in the Liberty board after he resigned, together with two other directors, Raul de Mesa and Luis Manuel Gatmaitan. Liberty Telecom made this disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange after its December 9 special board meeting.

Also during the meeting, the board approved Liberty’s authorized capital stock increase by P4.8 billion, all of which are preferred shares. Insiders say the company needs to be recapitalized after it suspended business operations due to lack of capital in operating and expanding the business in 2005. The company even applied for rehabilitation with the Regional Trial Court in Makati in 2007.

Since then, the management of Liberty Telecom was looking for a prospective investor that could bring back the company to its normal operations and earn money with its planned services of affiliated company, Liberty Broadcasting Network.

During the meeting, the Liberty board also approved “the fixed valuation of all preferred shares of stock of the corporation at a price of P1.50 per share until May 29, 2010, for any issuance thereof by the corporation subsequent to the 4,800,000,000 increase in preferred shares.”

SMC on Monday announced it was working on a joint-venture partnership with Qatar Telecom QSC, which recently acquired 27.12 percent of Liberty.

Qatar Telecom is an integrated telecommunications player, which offers services to 16 countries with total population coverage of 550 million and a subscriber base of 55 million. It is majority-owned by the state of Qatar.

The Liberty board also okayed the issuance of preferred shares to Wi-Tribe Ltd. and or White Dawn Solution Holdings Inc., or their assignees, in consideration for the conversion of loans and payables of the corporation into equity. Wi-Tribe is the Wi-Max brand of Qatar Telecom.

Liberty Telecom had earlier announced it plans to operate a nationwide voice and data network called Wi-Max, which would be the main service or product in the 10-year rehab plan.

The Wi-Max network, which will provide wireless broadband service to coverage areas, is expected to contribute more than 90 percent to Liberty’s total projected revenues. It claimed that its capability to take advantage of the promising Wi-Max technology will put the company at least on a par with the other phone firms in the country. Liberty is holding on to its previous frequencies situated in the 700-megahertz frequency bandwidth.

SMC’s pronouncement to go into the telecom business has turned the heads of many in the industry. Insiders say the company now has the capability to corner a deal as big as the controversial national broadband network (NBN) project of the government.

According to them, since the alleged questionable contract entered into by the government and China’s Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment Co. Ltd. (ZTE) is cancelled, chances for Liberty to get the deal is big, should the government decide to rebid it.

However, the insiders said, should Liberty get the NBN deal, they expect the close relations between First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and newly elected Liberty chairman Ramon Ang might be pointed to by some groups.



Aside from Meralco and Petron....

As planned, SMC is going into telco.

Aside from Meralco and Petron....

As planned, SMC is going into telco.

http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20081211-177322/San-Miguel-may-buy-into-Liberty-Telecom

San Miguel may buy into Liberty Telecom


By Riza T. Olchondra, Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12/11/2008

Beverage and food conglomerate San Miguel Corp., which has gone on a diversification mode, is in talks with publicly listed Liberty Telecom Holdings Inc. on a possible investment, officials of both companies said.

San Miguel vice chairman and president Ramon Ang confirmed there were negotiations but refused to give details.

A spokesperson for Liberty Telecom said San Miguel had affirmed its investment interest, but added that the negotiations were “confidential.”

Liberty meanwhile told the Philippine Stock Exchange that Ang had been elected as its new chairman, replacing Gabriel Dee who resigned shortly after taking over the post of longtime chairman Raymond Moreno.

It also told the exchange it was increasing its capital stock by P4.8 billion.

“Preferred shares will be issued to wi-Tribe Ltd. and/or White Dawn Solution Holdings Inc. in consideration for the conversion of loans and payables of the Liberty into equity,” Liberty said in a disclosure statement.

wi-Tribe is a joint venture of Qatar Telecom (Qtel), the exclusive telecommunications service provider in Qatar, and A.A. Tukri Group of Companies (ATCO) of Saudi Arabia. Qtel has a 78-percent stake in this overall venture.

Liberty said its board had approved a fixed valuation of P1.50 for the preferred shares until May 29, 2010, for any issuance by the corporation subsequent to an increase of 4.8 million in preferred shares.

Liberty was incorporated on Jan. 14, 1994 primarily to engage in real and personal property business and to deal in stocks, bonds and others securities. It was envisioned to become the holding company for Liberty Broadcasting Network Inc. and Skyphone Logistics Inc.

In April 2005, its management suspended its operations for lack of capital needed to operate and grow the business. Four months later, it filed with the Makati Regional Trial Court a petition for rehabilitation.

Business Mirror

SMC acquires 60% of Liberty Holdings

Friday, 12 December 2008 01:53

The nation’s biggest food and drink company is buying 60 percent of Liberty Telecommunications Holdings Inc. for a controlling stake of the telecom company, as part of a partnership with Qatar Telecom QSC (QTel).

San Miguel Corp. (SMC) president Ramon Ang said in a mobile-phone message that the company will use Liberty in its venture into telecommunications with Qtel, Ang said, without providing further details.

The brewer, which has been making San Miguel beer for more than a century, is also seeking control of Petron Corp., the Philippines’ largest oil refiner, and has bought 27 percent of Manila Electric Co., the nation’s biggest power retailer. SMC is expanding into faster-growing industries such as energy and mining, as well as those with wider margins, such as telecommunications and is seeking to borrow $2 billion to fund such acquisitions.

The telecommunications industry “is still largely untapped, so it’s a potentially new growth area,” Ricardo Puig, an analyst at ATR-KimEng Securities Inc., said in a phone interview. “Larger players reported 50-percent growth in broadband subscribers this year, which shows the potential of the business.”

The company on December 8 announced a venture with Qtel to “look into opportunities in the wireless broadband, mobile and mobile broadband businesses in the Philippines.” Qtel provides phone services in 16 countries.

Ang was elected chairman of Liberty on December 9, the phone company said in a statement released on Wednesday. Liberty also approved an increase in its capital by issuing preferred shares until May 2010. “It’s too soon to speculate on anything, but given the partnership with Qatar, perhaps they can capitalize on overseas Filipinos” in the Middle East, Puig said.

The Philippines has been sending workers abroad for four decades, and the money they send home accounts for more than a tenth of the country’s $144 billion-economy. (Bloomberg)

Great news for the telecom industry!

Goods news for the Pinoy consumers and the economy as a whole!!:cheers:

Eastern Telecom targets ecozones (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20081214-177981/Eastern-Telecom-targets-ecozones)

P1-B expansion in Calabarzon area

By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20081214-177981/Eastern-Telecom-targets-ecozones)
First Posted 22:09:00 12/14/2008

EASTERN Telecommunications Philippines Inc. said it would offer its services to about 600 ecozones and industrial parks in Southern Luzon when it completes its P1-billion fiber optic expansion project from Tagaytay to Batangas.

An official of Eastern Telecom said the project would service industrial parks and economic zones as it would traverse Tagaytay, Cavite, Laguna and Batangas, an area where many business process outsourcing companies and multinationals are relocating to take advantage of cost savings amid the global financial crisis.

"We will provide connectivity to more than 600 ecozones and industrial parks along the route where the (project) will run," said Edwin Domingo, sales and business development head of Eastern Telecom.

He said this would help the company meet its revenue target of P5 billion by 2012.

Eastern Telecom posted revenue of P777 million in 2007. The company currently has about 15,000 customers, mostly enterprises and small and medium businesses.

The company is laying down a 240-kilometer fiber network that will reach Nasugbu, enabling Eastern to connect to its submarine cables.

"(This) will allow the company to maximize the submarine cables because of the additional bandwidth and it will allow us to offer greater bandwidth to other carriers and telecommunications companies," Domingo said.

Eastern Telecom said it was using new technology to drastically shorten the time and manpower needed for the project without sacrificing safety and quality.

The company employed Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) technology, which avoids breaking roads to dig deep trenches. Instead, HDD machines drill through a small hole underground with a detection device that guides the drill to a pre-set exit point. What normally takes weeks to dig traffic-stopping trenches takes six hours with only an entry and exit hole needed.

Cable laying is also faster with a fiber-blowing machine, which ensures that fiber optic cables are inserted through the underground holes safely in three to four hours instead of three weeks.

When Eastern Telecom switches on the expanded network, it will also activate a new business support system, which will improve the company's productivity by better organizing information through an integrated system for customer acquisition, customer care, billing and collection, service provisioning, product innovation and interconnection.

Also on the software side, Eastern is developing new products and value-added services such as Internet security and multipoint connectivity packages to develop fresh revenue streams.

so dapat din bang bawiin ng NTC ang 2G license ng Islacom dahil pagmamay-ari rin ito ng Globe? Nong ma grant ng NTC ang 3G license ng CURE ay hindi pa ito nabili ng PLDT gaya ng sitwaston noon ng Islacom. :)


Smart now has 3 frequency allocations.

1. Smart
2. Pilterl
3. CURE

Globe only has 2

1. Globe
2. Innove

SMC might target the last and 5th 3G licenese from NTC.....

Smart now has 3 frequency allocations.

1. Smart
2. Pilterl
3. CURE

Globe only has 2

1. Globe
2. Innove


1. SMART - has 1G/800Mhz (Analog technolgy); 2G/900 & 1800Mhz (GSM) and 3G/2100Mhz license
2. PILTEL - has only 1G/800Mhz license. It operates in 2G/GSM and 3G technology using Smart's network it is called MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Like Piltel, Smart is also a MVN Operator in Hongkong and Singapore using SMART 1528 brand.
3. CURE - has only 3G/2100Mhz license. That's the reason why RED Mobile sim will only work if you have a 3G capable handset/fone.

while

1. GLOBE - has 2G and 3G license and
2. INNOVE - has 2G license.

in summary:
Smart, Piltel and Cure has a combined total of:
2G/GSM = 1
3G = 2

Globe and Innove has a combined total of:
2G/GSM = 2
3G = 1

therefore, Globe/Innove has the most number of GSM freq. allocation while Smart/Cure has the most number of 3G freq. allocation.

:)

http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20081215-178108/Qatar-Telecom-signs-MOU-with-San-Miguel

Qatar Telecom signs MOU with San Miguel
By Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson
Philippine Daily Inquirer
12/15/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Qatar Telecoms QSC (Qtel), the sole telecommunications provider in Qatar, said it signed a memorandum of understanding with food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. as part of the former's expansion and consolidation in Southeast Asia.

In a statement, Qtel said the strategic agreement will allow the two companies to explore joint opportunities in the broadband and mobile telecom services in the Philippines.

Qtel, through its wi-tribe brand, already supports broadband wireless services in the emerging markets. The wi-tribe provides Wi-MAX services in Jordan and is in the process of launching new offerings in Pakistan.

Senior Qtel executives on Sunday met President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to review potential areas of cooperation in broadband Internet technology in the Philippines.

The meeting is part of Arroyo's working visit to Qatar to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

Click on link for complete article.

1. SMART - has 1G/800Mhz (Analog technolgy); 2G/900 & 1800Mhz (GSM) and 3G/2100Mhz license
2. PILTEL - has only 1G/800Mhz license. It operates in 2G/GSM and 3G technology using Smart's network it is called MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Like Piltel, Smart is also a MVN Operator in Hongkong and Singapore using SMART 1528 brand.
3. CURE - has only 3G/2100Mhz license. That's the reason why RED Mobile sim will only work if you have a 3G capable handset/fone.

while

1. GLOBE - has 2G and 3G license and
2. INNOVE - has 2G license.

in summary:
Smart, Piltel and Cure has a combined total of:
2G/GSM = 1
3G = 2

Globe and Innove has a combined total of:
2G/GSM = 2
3G = 1

therefore, Globe/Innove has the most number of GSM freq. allocation while Smart/Cure has the most number of 3G freq. allocation.

:)

There's no more CURE. It's already Red Mobile. :D

EasyCall, Japan firm tie up for Net protocol project

Written by Lenie Lectura / Reporter
Tuesday, 16 December 2008 21:33

EASYCALL Communications Philippines Inc. (ECPI) on Tuesday said it is in discussions with the Japan Satellite Corp. (JSAT) for a possible partnership for its planned Internet protocol (IP) infrastructure.

The company’s board of directors informed the stock exchange yesterday that management was allowed to “pursue the study, development, negotiations and partnership with JSAT with a view to providing IP transmission satellite connectivity service for the delivery of IP-based value-added services.”

JSAT is Japan’s first private-sector satellite communications operator following the enactment of Japan’s Telecommunications Business Law in 1985. It is said to be Asia’s largest operator with nine satellites positioned in eight orbits at an altitude of roughly 36,000 kilometers. These satellites cover an extensive area comprising all of Asia, including India and Pakistan, as well as Oceania and Hawaii. In addition, the October 2003 launch of the Horizons-1 satellite has expanded coverage to include all of North America.

ECPI said the proposed offering will run on the C-band frequency bandwidth or another frequency as determined by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

In another development, the board also approved the sale of ECPI’s major shareholder Global e-Business Solutions Inc. (Gebsi) of 38 percent of its shareholding in the company to Star Asia Technologies. ECPI gave no other details of the transaction.

In November 2001, ECPI’s stockholders approved the entry into the company of the Transnational Diversified Group (TDG) through its subsidiary, Gebsi.

Headed by Jose Roberto Delgado, TDG is an established diversified and global corporate group with extensive capital, human resources, expertise and experience in the business of logistics, transport, ship management, food, consumer, travel services, investment and business process outsourcing services.

ECPI is envisioned to fast-track TDG’s presence in information technology-related outsourcing services, leveraging on the former’s contact center and Internet data center infrastructure and operating resources. On the other hand, ECPI is seen to benefit from TDG’s vast business network, financial resources and expertise to grow the new ECPI businesses.

Gebsi infused new capital of P52 million into ECPI, for which it secured a 33-percent interest in the company years ago.

During the company’s stockholders meeting in July, ECPI said it would need about P5 million to finance the upgrade of its IP infrastructure and P2 million for the establishment of a voice over Internet protocol gateway. Funding will come from the planned stock rights offer.

ECPI is also putting up a data communications network to provide wireless broadband Internet service for underserved, marginalized, unserved and educational institutions in selected cities and provincial areas in the country. The rollout of this service will be implemented in different phases.

The company’s proposed project will cater to the medical and educational institutions.

There's no more CURE. It's already Red Mobile. :D

yeah, after mabili ng smart. :)

makasabay pa kaya ang SMC sa Smart at Globe? ang Sun nga medyo hirap pa e.

yeah, after mabili ng smart. :)

Uu nga. :D

makasabay pa kaya ang SMC sa Smart at Globe? ang Sun nga medyo hirap pa e.

depende na yan kung ano ang magiging marketing strategy nila at kung gaano sila kabilis mag put-up ng telecom. infrastructure considering na di naman ganon karami ang existing communication towers ng liberty sa buong bansa.

1. SMART - has 1G/800Mhz (Analog technolgy); 2G/900 & 1800Mhz (GSM) and 3G/2100Mhz license
2. PILTEL - has only 1G/800Mhz license. It operates in 2G/GSM and 3G technology using Smart's network it is called MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). Like Piltel, Smart is also a MVN Operator in Hongkong and Singapore using SMART 1528 brand.
3. CURE - has only 3G/2100Mhz license. That's the reason why RED Mobile sim will only work if you have a 3G capable handset/fone.

while

1. GLOBE - has 2G and 3G license and
2. INNOVE - has 2G license.

in summary:
Smart, Piltel and Cure has a combined total of:
2G/GSM = 1
3G = 2

Globe and Innove has a combined total of:
2G/GSM = 2
3G = 1

therefore, Globe/Innove has the most number of GSM freq. allocation while Smart/Cure has the most number of 3G freq. allocation.

:)

Nope. Piltel has a 10Mhz GSM frequency allocation that Smart also uses. In total, Smart has the Largets frequency allocation because of its acquisition of CURE>

Nope. Piltel has a 10Mhz GSM frequency allocation that Smart also uses. In total, Smart has the Largets frequency allocation because of its acquisition of CURE>

nah.. 10Mhz is not a GSM band. For GSM, The Philippines was allocated w/ the 900 and 1800Mhz band.

makasabay pa kaya ang SMC sa Smart at Globe? ang Sun nga medyo hirap pa e.

Considering it has partnership with foreign business (Qtel) they might be able to put up a good fight! Beside SMC is big and whats more if this will the 4th Force... the consumers will surely benefit because of competition.

and maybe the 5th player someday might be the Sy's. :D

:)

Considering it has partnership with foreign business (Qtel) they might be able to put up a good fight! Beside SMC is big and whats more if this will the 4th Force... the consumers will surely benefit because of competition.

and maybe the 5th player someday might be the Sy's. :D

:)

Agree!

Actually, Sun cellular is beginning to make a dent on the vaunted market control of Smart and Globe (thats why they started to offer the same 20 pesos all text promo. Sun was able to capture more customers with their affordable rates)

Now, with Liberty and Sun, we will see more competition and cheaper rates to us customers:cheers:

Eyeing OFWs, Smart unveils Internet phone
(Manila Bulletin, 12/19/2008, Melvin Calimag)


Combining various technology concepts, mobile operator Smart Communications has come up with a USB device, which, when plugged into a computer, will launch an Internet phone that can call any local number -- whether landline or mobile.

Targeted primarily at Filipinos working or living abroad, Smart's Plug 'N Talk offering is housed in a SIM-powered USB that looks very much like the wireless broadband apparatus currently available in the market.

The device, which can be handily carried around, is priced at P1,800 and already includes an earpiece anf Smart Pinoy SIM card. Traveling subscribers, however, can also use their Smart SIM while abroad.

A built-in application, called Soft-phone, autiomatically pops up efvery time the device is plugged into a USB port, officials said. The applications does not have to be installed.

The product's main proposition, company executives said, is its ability to give overseas-based Filipinos to chance use an Internet phone to call an actual landline or mobile phone at local rates.

Jojo Fermin, manager for international services at Smart, said in a recent press launch that while the Web phone competes directly with the likes of Skype, and Yahoo Messenger, its appeal may come from the fact that subscribers are using a Smart SIM, through a USB, to call a landline or mobile number.

Fermin said Smart came up with the product because the dominant form for making and receiving calls among Filipinos is still through the phone. Filipinos, he said are not that familiar yet in using Internet applications such as Skype because that the low PC penetration rate in the country.

Rates for outgoing calls made via Plug 'N Talk are as follows: For postpaid plan subscribers, per minute call charges in P6.50 to a Smart number and P8.50 to a non-Smart number. Text messages are worth P1.00 if sent to a Smart number, P2.00 if non-Smart number, and P10.00 if international number.

For Smart Pinoy and pre-paid Smart subscribers, the per-minute call charge to a Smart number is costlier by P1.00. The other rates is are similar except, for text messages went to an internaional number, which socts P15.00.

Incoming calls and text messages however, are all free or charge.

Perry Bayani, Head of Smart Sales and Business Development and International Services Group, said his team noticed their observation trips abroad that OFWs often surf the Internet but still use their phones for voice calls and SMS.

"Since they are often in front of their PCs, we've developed this tool to make their calls and text messages on the Internet," he said.

Ramon Isberto, Head of Public Affairs of Smart, said they launched the product in time for the Christmas season to take advantage of the hordes of OFWs and balikbayans coming home.

nah.. 10Mhz is not a GSM band. For GSM, The Philippines was allocated w/ the 900 and 1800Mhz band.

I said, Piltel is allocated 10Mhz worth of frequency spectrum, specifically in the 825-835/870-880 band when it still operated its AMPS and CDMA networks. Smart will now also be using this spectrum to deliver better 3G services.

Smart originaly only uses the 1920-1935 MHz/2110-2125 MHz bandwidth in the 1800 Bandwith for a total of 15 MHz.

With Smart and Piltel, Smart has a total of 25Mhz worth for frequency Spectrum. Plus with the additional 10Mhz of CURE in the 1955-1965/2145-2155 at the 2100 band, SMART-PILTEL-CURE now has a total of 35Mhz worth of frequency Spectrum allocation

in contrast, Sun Cellular or DMPI only has been assigned bands 1935-1945/2125-2135 MHz in the 1800 bandwidth for a frequency spectrum of only 10Mhz and is asking to be allocated more frequency in the 900Mhz spectrum that was awarded to Extelcom. At present, the frequency allocated to Extelcom is unused.

Whilst Globe only operates in the 1945-1955/2135-2145 MHz, 10 Mhz worth of frequency in the 1800 bandwith for their 3G network and currently they are requesting the NTC to grant them an addtional 10 Mhz in the 825 to 845 megahertz (MHz) and 870 to 890 MHz to expand their 3G network. They have access to 30Mhz worth of frequency band for their GSM wireless service, including 7.5 MHz on the 900 MHz frequency band and 12.5 MHz on the 1800 MHz frequency band for Globe and 10 MHz on the 900 MHz frequency band from Innove (Islacom).

Innove, formerly Islacom now operates in the Band C of the 450-470Mhz frequency spectrum. The allocated bands are now being used by Innove to deliver broadband services and wireless landline services based on a CDMA network. Innove originally only has 10Mhz prior to the merger with Globe in 2001.

Bayantel is allocated 10Mhz which it uses to deliver the Bayan Wireless Landline based on a CDMA network. Extelcom is given 20Mhz. 10Mhz of which are in the 800GSM Spectrum and 5Mhz in the 1800 Band, all of which are currently unused.

NTC has identified 825-845 MHz, 870-890 MHz, 1880-1900MHz, 1920-1980MHz, 2110-2170MHz, and 2010-2025MHz as suitable for 3G.

To sum it all up, the SMART consortium has the biggest and highests frequency allocation that is suitable for 3G operation.

San Miguel-Qtel's wimax brand is Wi-Tribe. This brand is present in Jordan and Pakistan.


There's no more CURE. It's already Red Mobile. :D

Connectivity Unlimited Resources Enterprise, Inc. (CURE) still exists. Smart Communications only bought a majority stake. It did not merge the company to itself or another subsidiary or dissolved the corporation.

Red Mobile is just a brand of CURE just like Talk 'N Text is a brand Piltel yet both CURE and Piltel are subsidiaries of Smart Communications.

NTC allows text promo exclusions

By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer (http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20081228-180279/NTC-allows-text-promo-exclusions)
First Posted 01:07:00 12/28/2008

MANILA, Philippines—The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) sees nothing wrong with excluding peak holiday periods from call and text messaging promos, the regulator’s top official said Saturday.

In a phone interview, NTC Commissioner Ruel Canobas said complaints about two recent promos’ coverage, or lack thereof, may have resulted from a “misunderstanding” of the details.

He said the dates covered by the promos of Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. were specified in their mechanics which were publicized in early December.

“There was no announcement of the suspension of the promos. There may have been a misunderstanding about the promo dates, which did not include December 23 to 25 and December 31 to January 1,” Canobas said.

He said the NTC stood by its decision allowing the exclusion of certain dates from the Smart and Globe promos.

Network congestion

The NTC reportedly approved last week the request of both Globe and Smart to be allowed to exclude the periods of Dec. 23-25 and Dec. 30-Jan. 1 from promos that offered unlimited calls and text messages from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.

“We were aware of the telcos’ concerns about network congestion. Communications traffic traditionally peak during those dates and if they were included in the promos, what was supposed to benefit many consumers may have disrupted services for all, including those who did not avail of the promos,” Canobas said.

He said he was willing to clarify the rules concerning telecom promos should he be called upon to do so by Congress.

Spelled out in promos

Speaker Prospero Nograles had earlier said officials of the NTC and the giant telcos would be summoned in January to a House investigation into the noninclusion of those dates in the promo packages.

He assailed the mobile phone service providers for “milking our people at this time of economic anxiety.”

But in separate interviews Friday, Smart and Globe said they did not suspend any part of their promos.

Smart public affairs chief Ramon Isberto said the company’s “P110 text plus unli calls” promo from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily was “never due for implementation” on Dec. 23-25 and Dec. 30-Jan 1, “as the mechanics of our approved application will show.”

High traffic

“One reason was to avoid adding to an already high-traffic period. It would have done more harm than good if we offered a promo that could not be enjoyed by subscribers during a high-volume period, especially at night. But all other promos due for implementation at this time are not suspended. For example, there is All Text 35,” Isberto said.

Globe regulatory affairs chief Carrie Gonzales likewise said the company’s “Unli Nyt” promo was not for implementation on those dates.

Said Gonzales: “When we applied for the promo, it was stated that the Christmas and New Year periods were not covered. Part of the reason is that text and call traffic is already very heavy during those periods.”

Still Jaime Regalario, chair of the multisectoral group Kilusan Para sa Makabansang Ekonomiya, criticized the NTC’s and telcos’ actions as anti-consumer.

No excuse

“Possible network congestion is not an excuse for excluding the holidays from promos which help alleviate the economic burden on consumers. Our response to them is: They should ensure network efficiency. They should improve their network,” Regalario said.

He said that, on the contrary, consumers should be given the option to enjoy these promotional activities, especially during periods of increased use of communication services like Christmas and New Year’s.

“It is the responsibility of companies who profit from communications activities to make sure they have the capacity to provide the services,” he said.

“And the government should make sure that they do this,” he added.

Smart keeps position as top wireless phone firm
(Business Mirror, 1/5/1009, Lenie Lectura)


SMART Communications Inc., the country’s largest mobile phone operator, has maintained its number one spot in the competitive wireless phone market as it ended 2008 with a subscriber base of 35 million.

Smart president Napoleon Nazareno said the company’s achievement was brought about by an effective marketing strategy.

“Smart has maintained its leadership in the mobile phone industry through innovative product offerings based on strategic market segmentation,” said Nazareno. “We call it ‘slicing and dicing’ the market and the objective is to address the needs of different segments of our subscriber base.”

The cellular firm introduced customer-focused service offerings that addressed the preferences of various segments of both prepaid and postpaid subscribers. It noted that much of the growth in the business was powered by new low-cost service offerings that were developed based on the usage patterns of subscribers.

Heavy text users benefited from promotional packages such as the one which offered 100 free on-net text and 10 bonus off-net messages for P20. Voice callers were allowed 10 minutes of airtime for only P20 within the Smart network. Talk ‘N Text had a P1-per minute call rate offer.

Smart said the subscriber base for 2008 increased 16 percent from end-2007. It did not say if the numbers already included Talk ‘N Text, which is Piltel’s cellular brand. Piltel is 92-percent owned by Smart.

At end-2007, Smart and Piltel combined recorded 30 million subscribers, an increase of 5.9 million from the previous year.

The company also took the lead in promoting mobile Internet usage in the country. It launched postpaid and prepaid Smart Bro mobile Internet services using USB modem devices.

Smart’s current drive to make broadband Internet more widely available aims to replicate what the company helped achieve for the mobile phone.

“Smart became the leading wireless communications services provider in the country by bringing innovative and affordable services to more and more Filipinos. We will continue that thrust and put the power of the mobile Internet in the hands of our countrymen,” Nazareno said.

^^ Related article: Philippines penetration rate for cellphone is now 65%. Smart - 35M plus Globe 23.8M = 58.8M Filipinos.

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications, Inc. claims to have maintained leadership in subscriber base amid a tight competition and the economic slowdown in 2008.

The mobile phone unit of telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) on Thursday said its subscriber base 16 percent to 35 million in 2008.

Smart's closest competitor in the mobile phone business, Globe Telecom, Inc., had 23.75 million subscribers as of September 2008. It has not released a full-year figure.

"Smart has maintained its leadership in the mobile phone industry through innovative product offerings based on strategic market segmentation," company president and chief executive Napoleon L. Nazareno said in a statement.

Smart has been offering a variety of packages both for its prepaid and postpaid markets to cater to the needs of its subscribers. For the prepaid group alone, the company has about ten promos offering unlimited text and call services.

Smart also tapped more postpaid subscribers with the launch of Smart Gold Lite in the fourth quarter of 2008. It offers intranetwork calls at P2 per minute, lower than the industry standard of P6.50 to 8.50 per minute.

Smart is also expanding its mobile communications business to lure more subscribers.

"We complemented our initiatives in our mainstream business by introducing mobile broadband services that are laying the foundation for our future growth. This is part of our vision of promoting Internet for All as a means of further improving the lives of Filipinos," Smart chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea said.

In 2008, Smart launched postpaid and prepaid mobile internet services under the Smart Bro brand with USB (universal serial bus) modem devices.

"Offering USB plug it devices attached to laptops in the first step in developing the mobile broadband business. Soon, you will see more compelling applications offered via cellular handsets. This will usher in the mobile broadband era where the mobile phone is the preferred internet access device for millions of Filipinos," Vea said. - GMANews.TV

http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20090111-182672/A-boon-to-OFWs-Cheaper-calls

A boon to OFWs: Cheaper calls
By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
01/11/2009

MANILA, Philippines—“Whenever we ask OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) what they need during this global financial crisis, the answer is the same: Any little way we can save, we will welcome it,” said Perry V. Bayani, head of Smart Communications Inc.’s sales and business development and international services group, during a pre-launch briefing for Plug ’N Talk (PNT).

Smart’s newest offering is said to be the first USB communications device in the Philippines that allows those outside the country to call and text from an Internet-connected PC to any Philippine mobile and landline number using their Smart SIM.

PNT is positioned as a niche service for Internet-connected Filipinos abroad who want to call Philippine landline or mobile numbers for as low as P6.50 a minute.

The setup allows a subscriber to access the Smart network via the Internet at home, at work, or in an Internet café, and enjoy call rates for as low as P6.50 per minute. The price of text messages is as low as P1. There are no international roaming or hidden charges.

“Plug ’N Talk is a breakthrough product because we’ve taken the communications experience beyond the phone-to-phone scenario,” said Rufino S. Fermin, Smart’s manager for international services and OFW market. Now OFWs simply have to connect to the Internet, plug in their Plug ’N Text USB device, which has a 1-GB variant that can be used for storage, and then use a soft phone interface on their PC to call anyone in the Philippines.

Fermin added that PNT’s value proposition over other services using VOIP such as Skype is that PNT’s call rates are slightly lower yet the voice quality is much better. The interface also allows users to text, get top ups, and purchase online items from partner-merchants for loved ones in the Philippines.

The Smart Plug ’N Talk will be initially available at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 1 and the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

“We are launching it in the Philippines first since many OFWs are expected to be home for the holidays,” said Ramon Isberto, public relations chief of Smart. “This way, they will get better access to the product and they can bring it with them when they go abroad again.”

The product will soon be made available in the United States and Japan, as well as in the Middle East and Europe.

The PNT kit is priced at P1,800. It includes the Plug ’N Talk device, an earpiece and a free Smart Pinoy SIM with free P20 load.

The PNT system may be used on any Windows OS. A version for Mac OS is currently being developed and will be launched soon.

According to figures from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, there are about 8.7 million Filipinos abroad as of end-2007.

At any one time, Smart has 900,000 to 1 million roaming subscribers on its network. Fermin said that these subscribers can choose to avoid costly roaming fees by using PNT instead.

Smart claims to be the Filipino’s biggest mobile network to the world, serving 34.2 million subscribers on its GSM network as of end-September 2008.

Its products and services are available in over 200 countries abroad having ties with over 400 international network partners. Through PLDT Global, Smart also serves the mobile communication needs of Filipinos in Singapore, Hong Kong and Italy via 1528 Smart.

SMC is eyeing to buy Express telecom (extelcom)

SMC planning to buy other telecom companies

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lenie Lectura, Business Mirror | 01/22/2009 11:35 AM

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Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is looking at buying another telecommunication firms, in addition to Liberty Telecom Holdings Inc., in its bid to become a major player in the wireless broadband arena.

Industry sources identified Express Telecommunication Co. as the phone firm that has also caught the interest of SMC. Some say that this is already a done deal between SMC and Express Telecom, while others note that the talks are almost in the final stages.

SMC president Ramon Ang confirmed yesterday that the food and beverage giant is taking a look at other phone firms. He, however, said that nothing has been finalized yet.

“We are still in talks,” he said in a text message to the BusinessMirror, when asked to comment about the supposedly “done deal” to purchase Express Telecom and another carrier currently engage in broadband wireless access (BWA) service.

When asked to clarify if SMC is indeed in discussions with others aside from Liberty, And texted: “We are in talks with potential telcos.”

SMC and Qatar Telecom (QTel), which has acquired a substantial stake in Liberty Telecom, are working on a joint-venture partnership. At present, QTel holds about 34 percent in Liberty. Ang was also recently elected chairman of the company.

The joint venture between QTel and SMC is obviously, as the sources pointed out, meant to take over Liberty. SMC alone cannot engage in telecommunications business because it does not have the Congressional authority. Qtel, being a foreign company, is restricted under the Constitution to own more than 40 percent of any public utility.

The goal, explained a source, is to transform debt-ridden Liberty as a major player in the industry, particularly in broadband services. As industry players have pointed out, broadband is the next revenue driver beside the cellular mobile telephone system (CMTS) service.

“It’s a frequency ballgame. While other players just have enough frequencies, Liberty has all the precious frequencies to be a major player in the broadband arena—plus it has QTel and SMC for funding,” said a source.

Ang did not say if SMC alone is interested in Express Telecom or in any other telco for that matter. The sources said Express Telecom, though under rehabilitation, is still attractive because of the frequencies it holds.

Sun Cellular is another potential acquisition, other sources noted. In the past, the Gokongwei-owned cellular firm has always been reported to have engaged in talks with potential buyers.

One source said that it is Sun Cellular and not Express Telecom that SMC is looking at. “It is a valid strategy to buy into an existing cellular firm. It could easily compete with the two major cellular firms. It will just be a matter of combining the technical resources, financial and marketing. It’s a matter of how fast you can work and how good your people will be,” she said.

Officials of Sun Cellular did not reply when asked for comment.

Existing 3G (third-generation) cellular firms, including Globe Telecom, Smart Communications Inc. and its subsidiary Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise (Cure) have also expressed interest in Express Telecom’s unused frequencies.

Express Telecom has not been using its full 10 Megahertz (MHz) of spectrum in 800 MHz, specifically within 835-845 MHz/880-890MHz. Further, the company was also given 5 MHz of additional bandwidth in the 1800-MHz range in September 2001.

Globe, Smart and Cure are all eyeing Express Telecom’s frequencies because these are of a lower bandwidth than the current 3G frequencies assigned to them. As such, their transmission and reception capability covers a greater range from a technology standpoint. This characteristic can permit the use of fewer 3G base stations and network elements, while still providing substantial coverage.

“Express Telecom’s frequencies can also be used for the deployment of wireless broadband services particularly in rural areas. They are not that keen on competing with the two cellular giants, which have already established their presence in the cellular market. Broadband is more in the horizon and that is where they will be,” noted another source.

Extelcom’s rehabilitation involves a restructuring of its equity profile by reducing the par value of its shares from P10 to P1.80 per share, and increasing the number of shares from the original 200 million shares to 1,111,111,11 shares. The company’s financial liabilities would then be converted to equity, with the original stockholders retaining their 200 million shares and the additional shares of 911,111,111 going to the creditors.

as of 01/22/2009 11:35 AM

well I hope San Miguel sticks with liberty and buy extelcom.

Sun should remain so that its a four corner fight for the very lucrative celphone market.

^^^^

I agree 100%.

A 4 way fight is better. :)

In the end... customers gain!

I would love seeing Express Telecom again--I think the pioneer celphone network in the country.

I love the idea--Smart-Red-Talk and Text, Globe-TM, Sun, Liberty and Express Telecom fight!:cheers:

^^

For sure. "unlimited" promos will flood the consumers. :lol:

Piltel planning to offer 3G service
(Business Mirror, 01/27/2009, Lenie Lectura)


Pilipino Telephone Corp. (Piltel) may soon to go into the highly competitive 3G (third-generation) mobile phone business.



In its letter to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the cellular operator said it is interested in applying for the remaining and fifth 3G frequency bandwidth.



The frequency band 1965 to 1975 megahertz (MHz), 2155 MHz to 2165 MHz and 1890 to 1900MHz/1970 to 1980MHz have been made available by the regulators for assignment.



But Piltel has bigger plans. It wants to use this frequency spectrum to deploy LTE or Long-Term Evolution technology, which is touted as the next big thing in wireless services.



In November last year, the GSM Association during the Mobile Asia Congress in Macau threw its support behind LTE. Verizon Wireless, the second-largest wireless operator in the US said it will use LTE for its 4G (fourth generation) wireless network. AT&T, the largest mobile operator in the US also has indicated it will use this technology.



“Piltel will adapt the LTE technology to upgrade its existing network capacity and capabilities to enable the delivery of richer and more compelling services,” said Piltel regulatory and telecom industry relations head Roy Ibay.



LTE Release 1 equipment operates at 1920-1980MHz/2110-2170MHz, which coincides with the remaining 3G radio frequency band available for assignment.



In the same letter, Piltel also commented on the NTC’s draft circular on “Rules on the Assignment of the Remaining Allocated 3G Radio Frequency Band.”



Piltel said it opposes the draft circular because it proposes to bar existing 3G frequency holders and their affiliates from applying for the remaining license. Piltel is a unit of Smart Communications Inc., one of the four 3G firms in the country. The remaining three are Globe Telecom, Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc. (DMPI) and Connectivity Unlimited Resources Enterprises Inc. (Cure), also a unit of Smart.



“Regardless whether a company is an affiliate of an existing 3G operator, it should also be given the opportunity to apply for the 3G frequency on the basis that it is qualified, competent and will deliver the public service efficiently at rates that are fair and reasonable,” said Piltel.



During the public hearing held on January 8, the NTC said the latest draft circular on 3G is a “mere continuation of memorandum circular (MC) 7-08-2005.” Thus, if the draft MC is a continuation of the 2005 MC, then it follows that all those applicants [which] took part and applied for 3G licenses but failed to qualify should therefore be automatically disqualified to participate under the draft MC, said Piltel.



“We suggest the inclusion of the word “Further” to read as “Further Rules on the Assignment of the Remaining Allocated 3G Radio Frequency Band” and would be consonant to this Honorable Commission’s position during the January 8 public hearing that the draft MC is a mere continuation of MC 7-08-2005,” Piltel added.



Piltel opined that the approach adopted by the NTC in awarding the 3G frequencies under MC 07-08-2005 should be retained instead of the suggested approach under the draft MC. Specifically, Piltel would like the NTC to remove the condition that prohibits the cellular firm from applying for the fifth 3G slot.



The company also suggested that the NTC should require cellular firms who are applying for 3G license to comply with the NTC mandate to roll out at least 400,000 local exchange lines within five years upon grant of a cellular permit.



Piltel noted that the draft rules on 3G failed to mention this. The draft MC only stated that applicants without authority to install, operate and maintain a cellular network should be made to file an application for authority or certificate of public convenience and necessity or CPCN to install, operate and maintain a 3G mobile telecommunications system, consistent with Section 3.3 of MC 07-08-2005.



The draft circular stated that qualified applicants should post a bid security bond equivalent to 30 percent of the minimum bid price of P65 million. “The qualified bidders shall bid for the annual spectrum user fees. The minimum bid price shall be P65 million for the paired 10 Mhz.”



A public bidding is necessary if the number of qualified 3G applicants is more than one, said the NTC.



Applicants should submit a written undertaking that they shall interconnect with all 3G networks, cellular mobile telephone networks, local exchange networks and all other public networks.



The applicants should allow the sharing of their network and facilities with other 3G players in areas where demand prevents more than one 3G network, as well as negotiate roaming agreements.



A five-year rollout plan to cover at least 80 percent of the provincial capital towns/cities and 80 percent of the chartered cities are required, the draft circular stated.



The agency said rates for the different types of 3G services to be offered shall be the maximum rates that can be charged within the first 24 months from start of commercial operations.

Piltel planning to offer 3G service
(Business Mirror, 01/27/2009, Lenie Lectura)


Pilipino Telephone Corp. (Piltel) may soon to go into the highly competitive 3G (third-generation) mobile phone business.



In its letter to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the cellular operator said it is interested in applying for the remaining and fifth 3G frequency bandwidth.



The frequency band 1965 to 1975 megahertz (MHz), 2155 MHz to 2165 MHz and 1890 to 1900MHz/1970 to 1980MHz have been made available by the regulators for assignment.



But Piltel has bigger plans. It wants to use this frequency spectrum to deploy LTE or Long-Term Evolution technology, which is touted as the next big thing in wireless services.



In November last year, the GSM Association during the Mobile Asia Congress in Macau threw its support behind LTE. Verizon Wireless, the second-largest wireless operator in the US said it will use LTE for its 4G (fourth generation) wireless network. AT&T, the largest mobile operator in the US also has indicated it will use this technology.



“Piltel will adapt the LTE technology to upgrade its existing network capacity and capabilities to enable the delivery of richer and more compelling services,” said Piltel regulatory and telecom industry relations head Roy Ibay.



LTE Release 1 equipment operates at 1920-1980MHz/2110-2170MHz, which coincides with the remaining 3G radio frequency band available for assignment.



In the same letter, Piltel also commented on the NTC’s draft circular on “Rules on the Assignment of the Remaining Allocated 3G Radio Frequency Band.”



Piltel said it opposes the draft circular because it proposes to bar existing 3G frequency holders and their affiliates from applying for the remaining license. Piltel is a unit of Smart Communications Inc., one of the four 3G firms in the country. The remaining three are Globe Telecom, Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc. (DMPI) and Connectivity Unlimited Resources Enterprises Inc. (Cure), also a unit of Smart.



“Regardless whether a company is an affiliate of an existing 3G operator, it should also be given the opportunity to apply for the 3G frequency on the basis that it is qualified, competent and will deliver the public service efficiently at rates that are fair and reasonable,” said Piltel.



During the public hearing held on January 8, the NTC said the latest draft circular on 3G is a “mere continuation of memorandum circular (MC) 7-08-2005.” Thus, if the draft MC is a continuation of the 2005 MC, then it follows that all those applicants [which] took part and applied for 3G licenses but failed to qualify should therefore be automatically disqualified to participate under the draft MC, said Piltel.



“We suggest the inclusion of the word “Further” to read as “Further Rules on the Assignment of the Remaining Allocated 3G Radio Frequency Band” and would be consonant to this Honorable Commission’s position during the January 8 public hearing that the draft MC is a mere continuation of MC 7-08-2005,” Piltel added.



Piltel opined that the approach adopted by the NTC in awarding the 3G frequencies under MC 07-08-2005 should be retained instead of the suggested approach under the draft MC. Specifically, Piltel would like the NTC to remove the condition that prohibits the cellular firm from applying for the fifth 3G slot.



The company also suggested that the NTC should require cellular firms who are applying for 3G license to comply with the NTC mandate to roll out at least 400,000 local exchange lines within five years upon grant of a cellular permit.



Piltel noted that the draft rules on 3G failed to mention this. The draft MC only stated that applicants without authority to install, operate and maintain a cellular network should be made to file an application for authority or certificate of public convenience and necessity or CPCN to install, operate and maintain a 3G mobile telecommunications system, consistent with Section 3.3 of MC 07-08-2005.



The draft circular stated that qualified applicants should post a bid security bond equivalent to 30 percent of the minimum bid price of P65 million. “The qualified bidders shall bid for the annual spectrum user fees. The minimum bid price shall be P65 million for the paired 10 Mhz.”



A public bidding is necessary if the number of qualified 3G applicants is more than one, said the NTC.



Applicants should submit a written undertaking that they shall interconnect with all 3G networks, cellular mobile telephone networks, local exchange networks and all other public networks.



The applicants should allow the sharing of their network and facilities with other 3G players in areas where demand prevents more than one 3G network, as well as negotiate roaming agreements.



A five-year rollout plan to cover at least 80 percent of the provincial capital towns/cities and 80 percent of the chartered cities are required, the draft circular stated.



The agency said rates for the different types of 3G services to be offered shall be the maximum rates that can be charged within the first 24 months from start of commercial operations.

Awarding the 5th 3G license to Piltel would be crazy! :nuts: This just shows the greed of PLDT. Should Piltel be successful in its application, the PLDT consortium would own 3 out of 5 3G licenses!!!

^ TM should also bid for 3G frequency; I think no law is prohibiting any legit and qualified telecom operator to bid for any available frequency.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/2496/telecoms1up5.jpg

By Eden Estopace (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=436017&publicationSubCategoryId=73)

The countdown to the 2009 Mobile World Congress (formerly 3GSM World Congress) held annually in Barcelona, Spain has begun.

Despite the gloomy economic outlook worldwide, the red carpet has been rolled out — drum rolls and all — for the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry, which this year expects to draw around 50,000 attendees on Feb. 16-19.

This year, the fourth to be held in Barcelona after a number of years in Cannes, France, congress participants as usual expect a vibrant discussion space for the hottest trends in the telecommunications industry — mobile innovations and applications, mobile ecosystems and enterprises, new devices and technology evolution, mobile advertising and entertainment and even the so-called M-government. It is going to be — as in years past — a geek heartland.

In his first press interview in the Philippines, Craig Ehrlich, immediate past chairman of the GSM Association (GSMA) that hosts the annual convention, sat down with The STAR to discuss the global telecommunications space and the organization credited for having steered the directions of the industry in the last decade.

The GSMA is global trade association representing the interests of over 750 GSM mobile phone operators and over 200 manufacturers and suppliers worldwide.

Phenomenal growth

According to Ehrlich, the growth of mobile phone usage worldwide in the last seven years that he was chairman of the GSMA was phenomenal, yet there is still room for growth. In the last three years, mobile phone subscribers are growing by approximately a million a day.

Handset sales have declined or is projected to decline by 10 to 12 percent, he said, but new subscribers are still growing to around a billion a year and this growth could be sustained.

“Almost half of the growth is recorded in only two countries — India and China,” he disclosed. “Both countries record 160 million to 350 million new users per year.”

“When I became chairman in 2002, the mobile telecom industry was vastly different from the environment we are living in today,” he said in his farewell speech.

Back then, he said a mere 500 million subscribers were using mobile devices, compared to the 3.5-billion mobile (GSM) subscribers the world now has, most of whom enjoy rich and varied services that span their home and business lives.

“We’ve worked to promote a mobile technology as a tool to enhance people’s lives, and we’ve seen the impact mobile has had around the world,” he added.

Emerging markets

Ehrlich underscored the importance of the so-called emerging markets in the global adoption of mobile technology.

“During my time as chairman, we made a commitment to the emerging markets. Our commitment to these regions meant that consumers had access to low-cost 2G handsets which was instrumental in spurring growth,” he said.

Five to six years ago, Ehrlich cited that the cost of the lowest-priced mobile phones was around $60 to $70 (P3,000 to P4,000). Within six months, GSM worked with phone manufactures to be able to offer it to under $40 (P2,000). In the next few years, the price was reduced further to $30 (P1,500) and finally to under $20 (P1,000).

This program, he said, has been replicated in driving down the cost of 3G handsets down to under $200 (P8,000 to P10,000).

“The goal is to support the growth of the market for mobile products and services,” he said.

Though the GSMA has continuously worked on various programs and initiatives to support the growth of mobile phone usage and bring the cost of the equipment down, Ehrlich clarified that they were never involved in price fixing for subscription cost and in that area allow market forces to determine prices.

“On the policy level, we are being watched very closely by governing bodies, such as the European Union, for price fixing. We do not dictate prices but merely work for sustainable industry regulation,” he said.

Ehrlich, however, said operators worldwide have adopted very innovative approaches to make mobile usage very affordable to the mass consumer market and he cited the Philippines as one of the leading innovators in this space.

“We are amazed at how Philippine telecom operators have introduced innovative approaches to grow the industry for the greater good,” he said.

With him having stepped down from the powerful post as GSMA chairman, Ehrlich is optimistic that the next GMA leadership would continue to focus on emerging markets like the Philippines.

The new GSMA chairman, Alexander Izosimov, is chief executive officer of VimpelCom Group, a leading telecommunications operator in Russia, with operations in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Southeast Asia.

“I have spent most of my life in Asia and I have worked for the greater representation of Asia but this is not to say that I have singled out this area. I think I made sure that no one region or one country would dominate the association but to make GSMA more geographically diverse,” he said.

In his farewell speech, Ehrlich recalled that when he took over the chairmanship of the association in 2002, GSMA was “effectively a European-centric standards body with no representation from Africa, the Middle East or the Americas, and only one representative from Asia sat in the board of directors.”

This has changed, he said. And now, GSMA can say that it is the premier body that addresses the concerns of operators worldwide and will always work to create value for operators and the benefit of end-users.

While the raging issue in the emerging markets is still in the area of handset ownership and growing subscriber base, in the advanced markets like Europe and the United States, mobile broadband and the continuous deployment of GSM technologies and evolutions take center stage.

GSM vs CDMA: War is over

According to the GSMA website, GSM or the Global System for Mobile Communications is now used in 219 countries and territories serving more than three billion people.

“The war is over,” said Ehrlich, referring to the competition in previous years between GSM and CDMA on which is the better technology.

GSM now corners an 86 percent market share in the world, with the remaining 14 percent more or less committed to the GSMA path to LTE or Long Term Evolution (LTE), which is the next step from 3G/WCDMA & HSPA for those already using GSM technology and for CDMA operators as well.

According to the GSMA website, this new radio access technology will be optimized to deliver very fast data speeds of up to 100Mb/s downlink and 50Mb/s uplink (peak rates).

Ehrlich, however, clarified that between GSM and CDMA, it is not an issue of which is the better technology or which one provides more spectral efficiency.

The main driving edge of GSM is that it is not proprietary, it is not owned by one country or one company, so no one can strangle it.

“The advantage is in the ecosystem,” he explained. “More operators or countries using it, the lower the cost so it benefits both operators and end-users.”

The GSMA website said GSM operates in the 900MHz and 1.8GHz bands in Europe and the 1.9GHz and 850MHz bands in the US. The 850MHz band is also used for GSM and 3G in Australia, Canada and many South American countries.

For one, by having harmonized spectrum across most of the globe, GSM’s international roaming capability allows users to access the same services when traveling abroad as at home. This gives consumers seamless and same number connectivity in more than 218 countries, the website cited.

Continuity and change

Amid the specter of a world in crisis, the telecom industry is probably one of the few that are not in the doldrums and with the forthcoming spotlight in Barcelona, Ehrlich, however, admitted that despite the accomplishments in the last few years, major challenges remain such as the issues on regulation and taxation and spectrum allocation, which he said will have the greatest impact on the growth of the mobile industry.

“The GSMA is actively lobbying governments to make more spectrum available in 3G extension bands, as well as to release spectrum freed up in the move from analog to digital TV for use by mobile operators. I am confident that the GSMA is the body that will help the mobile industry drive a positive outcome around these issues,” he said in his speech.

But why step down just when the industry is facing a new surge of challenges?

“I could have an argument to stay longer but I believe there is time for an organization to rejuvenate. I knew it is time,” he said.

Ehrlich, however, still sits in the board of GSMA and is chairman of the GSMC, the commercial arm of the organization that stages the annual convention and exhibition in Barcelona. In a private capacity, he is also a board member of the Hutchinson Telecom Group of Hong Kong, where has been based since 1987, a board member of Philweb in Manila and vice chairman of ISM, which is also based in Manila, and two other companies in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The telecom industry will become very exciting if San Miguel and other telecom companies will indeed challenge the dominance of the oligopoly like market created by Smart and Globe.

Sun Cellular should start flexing its muscles.

Ex-Smart exec to join Liberty Telecoms (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/02/09/ex-smart-exec-join-liberty-telecoms)
Business Mirror | 02/02/2009 2:31 PM

Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc. is tapping the expertise of former Smart Communications Inc. marketing whiz Anastacio Martirez to be the company’s chief operating officer.

Liberty informed the stock exchange last week that the appointment of Martirez will take effect on February 4.

Martirez begged off from being interviewed, saying it was too soon for him to give any statement because his appointment has yet to take effect.

Industry players are keeping a tight watch on Liberty ’s entry into the highly competitive cellular and wireless broadband markets after announcements were made that Qatar’s dominant telephone service provider, Qatar Telecom, acquired a substantial stake in Liberty.

Besides QTel for a partner, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is also coming into the picture. Both parties are working on a joint-venture partnership to take over Liberty. SMC president Ramon Ang had been elected chairman of Liberty.

Liberty is valuable for its broadband frequencies. It is the only phone firm that was able to corner nearly 100 megahertz of frequency spectrum in its many years in the business.

But operations were suspended in 2005 due to mounting financial problems. It later filed for corporate rehabilitation before the Makati Regional Trial Court.

Industry stakeholders, meanwhile, welcomed QTel’s entry into Liberty.

“It’s a free market,” said telco executive Manuel Pangilinan, chairman of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).

PLDT president Napoloen Nazareno said competition is always good for the industry. “We will continue to invest on what we have now. We will plan it from there,” he said, when asked if the phone giant was ever threatened by Liberty’s comeback now that it has QTel and SMC as partners.

Globe Telecom said the same. It vowed to continue offering valuable telco services while keeping a close watch at its competitors. -- L. Lectura

ECI Telecom bags deal with Smart (http://http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20090203-187177/ECI-Telecom-bags-deal-with-Smart)By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications has awarded Israel-based ECI Telecom a two-year contract to manage the former's nationwide transmission network.

ECI will provide multi-vendor network management services for Smart's Network Operations Center (NOC), the company said in a statement.

Asked how much is the deal worth, both ECI and Smart declined to disclose figures.

Smart President and CEO Napoleon Nazareno said this outsourcing deal will allow Smart to focus on its core business.

Smart will be relying on ECI to manage its increasingly complex network to ensure high availability and improved network performance.

The deal also signifies ECI's positioning as a managed services provider, added president and ECI Telecom CEO Rafi Maor.

ECI previously announced deals with rival telco players Bayan Telecommunications and Globe Telecom.

Liberty chief sets sights on wireless broadband (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/04/09/liberty-chief-sets-sights-wireless-broadband)
By LENIE LECTURA/ Business Mirror | 02/04/2009 8:23 AM

San Miguel-controlled Liberty Telecoms is set to being a strong player in the highly competitive industry, focusing efforts on the wireless broadband arena.

“Looking at the enormous potential and the opportunities that the wireless broadband sector in the Philippines has to offer, I am extremely excited and hope to play an instrumental role in establishing Liberty Telecoms as a strong player in the Philippine telecom industry,” said Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc.’s. newly appointed chief operating officer (COO) Anastacio Martirez, in a statement released on Tuesday Martirez formally joins Liberty today.

The former marketing whiz of Smart Communications Inc. brings with him more than three decades of experience working for blue chip companies such as Procter & Gamble, Philips Electrical Lighting and Sky Cable.

He joins Liberty as the COO after having held the positions of chief mobile head and head of consumer business at Smart for 12 years, and the position of chief executive officer for the Jakarta-based PT Smart Telecom.

Martirez has vast experience in wireless broadband Internet as well as successfully launching various mobile services from rollout, network operations, customer service and sales and marketing.

Liberty Telecoms is a holding company engaged in providing telecommunication products and services through subsidiaries. It offers wireless voice services, connectivity services, Internet, international lease line, international frame relay, private Internet protocol services and video teleconference services.

It recently partnered with Qatar’s major telecommunications company Qatar Telecom. Qtel is an integrated telecommunications player, which offers services to 16 countries with total population coverage of 550 million and a subscriber base of 55 million. It is majority-owned by the State of Qatar.

In December, San Miguel Corp. announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar Telecom QSC (Qtel) to work on a joint venture in wireless broadband and mobile communications projects in the country.

The partnership will use listed Liberty Telecoms as the investment vehicle for the planned endeavor. SMC bought a 60-percent economic interest in the telco for a controlling stake in the company.

Ang was elected chairman of the telecom firm in a special board meeting held on December 9. Liberty Telecom also approved an increase in its capital via the issuance of preferred shares until May 2010.

Telco regulator considers recall of unused frequencies (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/04/09/telco-regulator-considers-recall-unused-frequencies)
By LENIE LECTURA/ Business Mirror | 02/04/2009 8:36 AM


The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has called the attention of phone companies in danger of losing assigned frequencies that are currently not being used. This, after it recently concluded an inventory of existing frequency allocations granted to telcos in the country.

In separate show-cause orders issued to Smart Communications Inc., Bell Telecom, Textron Corp., Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Philippine Communications Satellite Corp. (Philcomsat) and EasyCall Communications Philippines Inc., the telco regulator asked them to explain why their assigned frequency band should not be recalled for non-usage.

Smart, for instance, has been assigned a frequency within the 279-281 Megahertz (MHz) bandwidth on October 16, 1996. But it appears that the company is not operating on the said frequency band, said the NTC.

Smart was asked to appear on February 18 and to explain within 10 days why its provisional authority (PA) and frequency spectrum should not be cancelled and recalled.

BellTel’s assigned frequency within the 1710-1720/1805-1815 MHz band was also questioned. The NTC said the firm is not operating on the said bandwidth since it was awarded on September 24, 1998.The NTC asked BellTel to appear in a meeting slated on February 24.

Textron Corp. was assigned a frequency within the 3400-3600 MHz band on January 5, 2001. But the frequency management division of the commission said Textron has not been operating on this bandwidth. The company, which is controlled by the Delgado family who used to own Isla Communications Co. Inc., will appear in a February 17 meeting to explain its side.

The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) was assigned to operate in the 279-281 MHz band last October 10, 1996. But, according to the commission, it has not been operating on said spectrum. The NTC asked SBMA to appear on February 18.

The frequencies of Philcomsat under 3400-3600 MHz and EasyCall’s 1710-1720/1805-1815 MHz are also in danger of being recalled.

The NTC had recently concluded an inventory and review of the existing frequency allocations granted to mobile phone operators, broadcasting firms, paging companies and other operators engaged in various telecommunications services.

The objective is to make sure that limited resources, such as radio frequencies, are used properly and that the government generates the appropriate revenues. The NTC earlier cited the low usage of frequencies allocated to Pilipino Telephone Corp., Bayan Telecommunications Inc. and Express Telecommunications Inc.

Business MIrror

Liberty chief sets sights on wireless broadband
Written by Lenie Lectura / Reporter
Tuesday, 03 February 2009 22:10

SAN Miguel-controlled Liberty Telecoms is set to being a strong player in the highly competitive industry, focusing efforts on the wireless broadband arena.

“Looking at the enormous potential and the opportunities that the wireless broadband sector in the Philippines has to offer, I am extremely excited and hope to play an instrumental role in establishing Liberty Telecoms as a strong player in the Philippine telecom industry,” said Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc.’s. newly appointed chief operating officer (COO) Anastacio Martirez, in a statement released on Tuesday Martirez formally joins Liberty today.

The former marketing whiz of Smart Communications Inc. brings with him more than three decades of experience working for blue chip companies such as Procter & Gamble, Philips Electrical Lighting and Sky Cable.

He joins Liberty as the COO after having held the positions of chief mobile head and head of consumer business at Smart for 12 years, and the position of chief executive officer for the Jakarta-based PT Smart Telecom.

Martirez has vast experience in wireless broadband Internet as well as successfully launching various mobile services from rollout, network operations, customer service and sales and marketing.

Liberty Telecoms is a holding company engaged in providing telecommunication products and services through subsidiaries. It offers wireless voice services, connectivity services, Internet, international lease line, international frame relay, private Internet protocol services and video teleconference services.

It recently partnered with Qatar’s major telecommunications company Qatar Telecom. Qtel is an integrated telecommunications player, which offers services to 16 countries with total population coverage of 550 million and a subscriber base of 55 million. It is majority-owned by the State of Qatar.

In December, San Miguel Corp. announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar Telecom QSC (Qtel) to work on a joint venture in wireless broadband and mobile communications projects in the country.

The partnership will use listed Liberty Telecoms as the investment vehicle for the planned endeavor. SMC bought a 60-percent economic interest in the telco for a controlling stake in the company.

Ang was elected chairman of the telecom firm in a special board meeting held on December 9. Liberty Telecom also approved an increase in its capital via the issuance of preferred shares until May 2010.

Yes, yes!:cheers:

PLDT says cellphone subscribers rose last year (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/147457/PLDT-says-cellphone-subscribers-rose-last-year)
02/05/2009 | 01:52 PM

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), the country’s largest corporation, said its mobile phone subscribers increased last year despite a challenging environment.

PLDT’s combined subscriber base rose at a faster rate, reaching 35.2 million as of end-December last year, 17.3 percent compared to the previous year.

Of the total figure, 20.9 million were customers of Smart Communications Inc. which reported 600,000 more subscribers for the year.

Meanwhile, the company’s mass market brand, Talk ‘N Text of Pilipino Telephone Corp. added 4.6 million customers, bring its total subscribers to 14.3 million from 9.7 million subscribers in 2007.

The company’s core profit may reach P37 billion, said Manuel V. Pangilinan, PLDT chairman.

PLDT expects service revenues for last year to hit P142 billion, up by 5 percent from the previous year. - GMANews.TV

PLDT set to offer mobile broadband this month (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/09/09/pldt-set-offer-mobile-broadband-month)
By Lenie Lectura, Business Mirror | 02/10/2009 1:15 AM


Telecom giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.’s (PLDT) much-awaited launch of a new technology called HSPA850 [high-speed packet access] will finally be realized this month, company president Napoleon Nazareno said.

HSPA is a faster version of the current HSDPA (high-speed data packet access) standard offered through PLDT WeRoam and Smart Bro of Smart Communications Inc.

“Phase 1 will take off [in] February. The succeeding phases will follow,” said Nazareno in an interview.

HSPA850, Nazareno said, targets to reach areas that cannot be reached by the current network, digital subscriber line (DSL) and broadband wireless services of the PLDT Group. “The technology platform will initially cover Metro Manila and other nearby cities and provinces,” said Nazareno.

Phase 2, he added, will be unveiled in the third quarter of this year, while the third and last phase is set to be completed a year after. “That’s the timeline for HSPA which is a complementary platform to deliver broadband in dense areas.”

The PLDT Group earmarked an investment of about $50 million for the said HSPA technology.

Nazareno noted that HSPA 850 has been successfully installed in Australia, US, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil and Argentina.

The current wireless broadband services of PLDT and Smart provide about 2 megabits per second (Mbps) in data speed, while the new technology is estimated to have a peak speed of 7.2 Mbps.

For its next-generation network (NGN) project, Nazareno said the group expects to register 400,000 PLDT subscribers this year who will enjoy the latest technology for voice and multimedia communications linked through PLDT’s IP (internet protocol) backbone.

As of September last year, PLDT had over 120,000 PLDT subscribers.

“We are proceeding to migrate more subscribers this year,” said Nazareno, adding that the target for the completion of the rollout is in four years.

The shift to NGN from the traditional fixed-line service remains a top priority of the phone company. It is seen to revitalize the landline business, where revenue has softened compared with the mobile phone business.

The trend nowadays, PLDT said, is no longer the provision of basic telephone service since voice service has long been overtaken by cellular services. The deep penetration of cellular services has moved past from being a complement to basic landline services into being the total substitute for voice services.

PLDT is nearing completion of Phase 1 of its P4 billion-NGN project. “PLDT has made available in almost all of the approved areas and particularly in Phase 1 facilities for nomadic landline telephone facilities or wireless local loop, the same being operational and available to serve the requirement of the residents and users of the service therein,” PLDT said.

PLDT was authorized by the NTC in August last year to install and operate NGN in 195 municipalities and cities covering regions 4 to 12, the Cordillera Autonomous Region, Caraga, and Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

Based on the feasibility study submitted to the National Telecommunications Commission, PLDT projects revenues from the project to reach P781.76 million over a five-year period.

With the entry of Martirez to Liberty, will Liberty be the next "Smart"? what do you think?

Smart’s wind, solar powered cellsites up for green award
(Manila Bulletin, 02/10/2009)


Smart Communications Inc. has been nominated in the new "Green Mobile Award" category of the 2009 GSMA Global Mobile Awards for its cellular phone sites that are powered by renewable energy sources like wind and solar energy.


"We are very happy to receive the GSMA Global Mobile Awards nomination. As the Philippines’ leading wireless services provider, Smart recognizes the importance of initiating efforts such as the use of renewable energy sources to power off-grid base stations to help lower operating costs and reduce carbon emissions," said Smart President & CEO Napoleon Nazareno.

This is the first time that the GSMA Global Mobile Awards is featuring the Green Mobile Award category which aims to recognize mobile operators that have initiated programs and projects to promote environmental protection and sustainability.

Smart, through its Network Services Division, initiated the Alternative Power for Cell Sites Program to power cell sites in off-grid locations with renewable energy sources. Presently, the company has 68 cell sites across the country powered by renewable energy -- 41 run by wind energy and 27 using both wind and solar energy.

In December 2006, the company worked with a local vendor to set up the Philippines’ first windpowered cell site in Sitio Guimbitayan in Malapascua Island located north of Cebu province.

In the latter part of 2008, a GSMA Development Fund survey of 25 mobile operators across the developing world that use renewable energy sources revealed that Smart is the leader among mobile network operators worldwide in using wind energy to power its cell sites.

"Our congratulations go to all the nominees in this year’s Global Mobile Awards," said Rob Conway, CEO of GSMA. "Mobile communications continue to drive social, economic and technological development, as the calibre of entries this year again illustrates.

"To have been nominated from such a high quality field of more than 450 companies that entered is a tremendous achievement, and we await the announcement of the winners at the next month’s Global Mobile Awards evening in Barcelona with great interest."

The winner will be announced at the GSMA Global Mobile Awards Gala Dinner at the Palau Nacional in Barcelona, Spain on February 17.

The annual GSM awards aim to recognize and honor people, organizations and companies that deliver new ideas, methods or technologies that improve the quality of life of mobile subscribers and contribute to industry growth.

The GSMA consists of more than 750 mobile operators and 250 manufacturers and suppliers. Members currently provide mobile phone services to one billion customers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Mobile phone firms may fail to match last year's customer growth
(GMANews.TV, 02/11/2009)


Philippine mobile phone companies may be unable to match last year’s subscriber growth, prompting them to focus on enhancing revenues instead.

These, among others, were disclosed by top executives of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the country’s leading telecommunications company, and Globe Telecom Inc., the second-largest mobile phone operator.

Globe’s subscriber growth last year may not be repeated this year, Gerardo C. Ablaza Jr., the company’s chief executive officer, said.

Its subscribers rose by a million last year, bringing its total customer base to 24.7 million in 2008, higher than 20.3 million during the previous year. Touch Mobile, its mass market brand, accounted for 70 percent of the 4.4 million subscriber hike.

Although the company increased its wireless subscribers last year, revenues earned from the business fell by one percent to P55.6 billion. Customers used less of the service and increasing incidence of multi-SIM (subscriber identification module) use.

At end-2008, the SIM penetration rate had hit 75 percent. Of the figure, an estimated 16 to 17 percent own more than one SIM card.

For its part, PLDT, the country’s largest corporation, said its mobile phone subscribers increased last year despite a challenging environment.

PLDT’s combined subscriber base rose at a faster rate, reaching 35.2 million as of end-December last year, 17.3 percent compared to the previous year.

Of the total figure, 20.9 million were customers of Smart Communications Inc. which reported 600,000 more subscribers for the year.

Meanwhile, the company’s mass market brand, Talk ‘N Text of Pilipino Telephone Corp. added 4.6 million customers, bring its total subscribers to 14.3 million from 9.7 million subscribers in 2007.

PLDT chairman Manual V. Pangilinan also “doubted that [the company] could add another five million subscribers this year."

The company could attract “around three to four million only," Pangilinan said.

Despite lower projections, the company’s January results are slightly higher than those reported during the same month last year.

“We are slightly encouraged by that," Pangilinan said. “Let's remember these are early days. The indication so far is that we are slightly ahead of last year. Remember January is usually a slow month because after December splurge it usually slows down."

The company’s core profit may reach P37 billion, Pangilinan added.

PLDT expects service revenues for last year to hit P142 billion, up by 5 percent from the previous year.

Digitel Mobile ends 2008 with 8M subscribers
(Business Mirror, 02/12/2009)



Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc. (DMPI), the cellular unit of listed phone firm Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (Digitel), ended 2008 with over eight million subscribers.

This figure is 25-percent lower than the 10-million target the company, a unit of conglome-rate JG Summit Holdings, earlier set for 2008. Its mobile brand Sun Cellular was not able to sustain its target of adding 500,000 new subscribers every month in its network.

As of December 2008, Sun Cellular registered 8,154,202 subscribers. Since its launch in 2003, Sun Cellular continues to offer promotional pricing schemes such as unlimited and cheap call and mobile text messaging rates aimed at the mass market and group packages for corporate. “We have a better value proposition than the others. Remember that they followed us by launching their own versions of unlimited offerings,” Digitel president and chief executive officer James Go was quoted as saying.

In July last year, Go said Sun Cellular subscribers reached 6.5 million from just about three million in end-2007. He said the cellular firm has been consistent in signing up 500,000 new mobile phone users a month despite a shrinking consumer wallet and continuing pressure from competition.

Sun Cellular subscribers transmitted 59.72 million text messages daily during the fourth quarter; 49.53 million in the third quarter; 49.28 million in the second quarter; and 46.33 million in the first quarter of 2008.

By the end of 2008, Sun Cellular had put up 3,230 cellular sites, while its network coverage in 130 cities stood at 95.58 percent and 85 percent in 69 provinces.

The cellular operator’s drop call rate stood at 1.5 percent.

DMPI, according to Go, is setting aside about $300 million every year to finance its 3G (third-generation) business, expand its broadband service and increase its cell sites to 4,000 by year-end.

The investment will be financed through a combination of borrowings from export credit agencies and internal funding.

Its 3G service is called Sun Broadband Wireless which supports voice calls, video call, text message, multimedia message, internet access and high-speed downlink packet access, or HSDPA, which allows high-speed wireless connection of up to 1.8 megabits per second.

Sun Cellular fails to meet 10-M subscriber target (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/02/15/09/sun-cellular-fails-meet-10-m-subscriber-target)
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 02/15/2009 11:05 PM


Gokongwei mobile phone unit Digital Mobile Philippines Inc. (Sun Cellular) was two million subscribers short of its 10-million target for 2008, following their failure to add 500,000 new members in its network each month.

Sun Cellular registered only 8.154 million customers at the end of the year despite promotional offers such as unlimited call and text messaging rates.

"We have a better value proposition than the others. Remember that they followed us by launching their own versions of unlimited offerings," Digitel president and CEO James Go said, however.

The company has also put up 3,230 cellular cites, with network coverage of 95.58 percent in 130 cities and 85 percent in 69 provinces.

Globe Telecom Inc. had the most number of subscribers last year with 24.7 million, with its mass-market brand Touch Mobile also leading the growth with 4.4 million net additions in 2008.

On the other hand, 20.9 million subscribers belonged to Smart Communications Inc., and 14.3 million to its low-end counterpart Talk 'N Text.

Users of Sun Cellular transmitted 59.72 million text messages daily during the fourth quarter of last year, while 49.53 million messages were sent daily during the third quarter of 2008.

For the second and first quarters, 49.28 million and 46.33 million text messages were sent daily, respectively.

In a benchmarking test of the National Telecommunications Communication in Metro Manila from September 17 to October 13, 2008, Sun Cellular lagged behind in terms of service quality, recording the most number of blocked calls at 779 (17.05 percent) and dropped calls at 48 (1.95 percent).

Dropped calls occur when a mobile phone call is cut just a few seconds after successful connection. Blocked calls, on the other hand, are failed attempt calls due to the absence of traffic channels that can be located. Both dropped calls and blocked calls are caused by network congestion or hardware problems.

Meanwhile, Go said the company is allotting $300 million every year for its 3G (third generation) business, expand its broadband service, and increase its mobile phone cell sites to 4,000 by the end of the year. The investment, he said, will be financed through loans and internal funding.

Higher fines for erring telcos loom (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/148940/Higher-fines-for-erring-telcos-loom)
02/16/2009 | 08:59 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Telecommunications firms face higher fines for abuses, after a bill in the House of Representatives passed the committee level.

House Bill 1784 passed through the House Committee on Information Communications Technology under Rep. Joseph Santiago, who authored the bill.

In an article on the House of Representatives website, Santiago said fines under the present law against a billion-dollar telecommunications company has become a mere "drop in the bucket."

"The fines which are imposed today to erring companies are too small.
They should be slapped with a bigger fine to show that the government is serious in implementing measures to protect the public," he said.

The bill authorizes the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to impose fines against erring firms up to a maximum of P10 million per day for failure to comply with the terms and conditions of any certificate, authority, order, decision or regulation of the NTC.

Also, failure to pay such fines shall be deemed good and sufficient reason for the suspension of the certificate of an erring public telecommunications firm.

Presently, an erring company faces a fine of only P25,000 under Section 23 Chapter IV of Commonwealth Act No. 146 or the Public Service Law.

The House panel is also reviewing the franchises of other erring telecommunications service providers, broadcast media companies and public utilities.

"We want to know what violations are being committed by these companies which are not permitted under the franchises which Congress granted to them," Santiago said. - GMANews.TV

Philippine Telco Leader selects Outsmart's Plug 'n Talk Solution
(finet.hk, 2/11/09)



(TEL AVIV, Israel, February 11/PRNewswire-Asia/-- Outsmart Ltd., a pioneer and leading provider of convergence solutions announced the launch of its Plug ‘n Talk solution by Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART), the Philippines’ leading wireless services provider. The solution, based on Outsmart’s Smart Convergence Platform, allows Filipinos abroad to call any Philippine landline or mobile phone at local tariffs from any computer.

“We are extremely pleased that SMART chose our Plug ‘n Talk solution,” said Jacob Brosh, CEO of Outsmart. “The number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) is well over 8 million people and continues to rise. This translates into a huge potential stream of incremental revenue for SMART. We are highly confident that the Plug ‘n Talk solution will enable SMART to offer the OFWs a superior solution, compared to their existing alternatives, in much more attractive tariffs.”

The Plug ‘n Talk solution is the first USB communication device in the Philippines to allow those outside the country to call and text from any Internet-based computer to any Philippine mobile or landline number. It offers all the benefits of a mobile device, including cost-effective tariffs and mobile services, using a SMART SIM card.

“The Plug ‘n Talk is a breakthrough product,” said Perry V. Bayani, head of SMART’s Sales and Business Development and International Services Group. “With the Plug ‘n Talk, Filipinos abroad receive the same quality service, at low-cost rates that subscribers in the country enjoy. It is an easy-to-use, affordable, secure and portable device. Users can just plug it into any computer with Internet access and a USB port.”



The Plug ‘n Talk solution transforms any computer into a mobile phone, allowing users to make and receive calls and offers simultaneous ringing on both the devices. It entitles users to enjoy all the advantages of a mobile phone with services including voice, video, handover, SMS, access to voicemail and other value-added services.

About Smart Communications

Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) is the Philippines' leading wireless services provider with 35.2 million subscribers on its GSM network as of end 2008. Its products and services are available in over 200 countries abroad in partnership with over 400 international network partners. Through PLDT Global, SMART also serves the mobile communication needs of Filipinos in Singapore, Hong Kong and Italy via 1528 SMART. For more information, please access www.smart.com.ph

About Outsmart

Founded in 2001, Outsmart is a leading mobile solutions provider of convergence technologies. The Company offers its flagship product, the Plug ‘n Talk™ solution that allows mobile operators to reach out across national borders to tap into new user segments. Based on its Smart Convergence Platform, Outsmart enables operators to converge between mobile and VoIP. This ensures an opportunity to broaden their reach with new revenue generating services for both residential and business users. For more information, view www.outsmarttelecom.com.

SOURCE Outsmart Ltd.

^^ What a coincidence that SMART selected the Plug n Talk Solution of Outsmart. SMART selecting OUTSMART!! :lol::lol:

Liberty Telecom eyes wireless broadband mart (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=441212&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
By Zinnia B. Dela Peña Updated February 18, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Backed by the financial strength and good track record of its new management, Liberty Telecom Holdings Inc. is gearing up to capture a fair share of the highly lucrative wireless broadband market in the Philippines as it makes a fresh new start after a three-year hiatus.

Industry sources said the company is planning to launch its broadband and mobile phone services by July this year using Wi-Max (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), a telecommunications technology that provides high-speed wireless transmission of data.

Liberty Telecoms will become the corporate vehicle of the joint venture between Southeast Asia’s largest food and drink group San Miguel Corp. and Qatar Telecommunications (QTel) in their quest to make a mark in the local wireless voice and data telecommunications services market.

Liberty Telecoms, through operating unit Liberty Network Inc., will provide the franchise and the broadband licenses while QTel, which acquired a stake in Liberty Telecoms in May 2008, will provide financial support.

While San Miguel chief executive officer Ramon S. Ang was elected chairman of Liberty Telecoms in a special board meeting held last Dec. 9, the food and beverage conglomerate is still negotiating the purchase of a 60-percent stake in the telecoms firm.

In a filing with securities regulators, Liberty Telecoms noted the country’s strong pent-up demand for broadband Internet connectivity given increasing demand for online education, Voice-over-Internet protocol (VOIP) and gaming, as well as improving affordability of PCs and strong government commitment to develop IT and Internet-related sectors.

“With the growing demand for data services, the new management and its subsidiaries are very confident that Liberty Telecoms will be able to get a fair share of the country’s prospective data users. Communications nowadays has become a necessity and for this reason the management is very optimistic that the set targets of company will be met and realized,” Liberty Telecoms said.

The company said it will primarily focus on providing fixed broadband internet and voice service to premium households and small-and-medium enterprises and complement it with a mobile broadband offering.

In particular, Liberty Telecoms is hoping to provide high bandwidth for upper and middle class households, SMEs and high-end mobile users.

Liberty Telecoms is also hoping to launch VOIP in 2010 with focus on offering competitive international package.

With its planned services, Liberty Telecoms is expecting fierce competition from leading players Smart Communications and Globe Telecoms as well as Sun Cellular in the mobile data segment.

Analysts said the entry of a new player may bring lower pricing for both home and business customers of broadband services and bring broadband access to places where it has been economically unavailable.

Telcos told to explain expiration of cellphone credits (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/149339/Telcos-told-to-explain-expiration-of-cellphone-credits)
JOHANNA CAMILLE L. SISANTE, GMANews.TV
02/18/2009 | 02:59 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Two House panels on Wednesday ordered the country’s leading telecommunication firms to justify the imposition of an expiry date for mobile phones’ prepaid credit.

Lawmakers compelled Smart Communications, Inc., Globe Telecom, Inc., and Sun Cellular to submit their written explanations within 10 days, indicating why prepaid mobile phone credits have expiration dates.

"Why is it that there is expiry for a prepaid load? For example when you buy P100 you have to consume it within a certain number of days. It's a more glaring example of a short shelf life. Why are you forcing consumers to consume it within a certain period of time?" said Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino during a hearing held by the House committees on Legislative Franchises and Information and Communications Technology.

Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla said he does not see why firms would impose an expiry date for prepaid credit as if it was milk that curdles.

“What's the rationale for telcos to be able to just make our load expire even though we haven’t consumed the full amount?" Remulla asked.

But Smart senior regulatory manager Roy Ibay said there were "financial and technical" reasons for the expiration of prepaid credit, even as he assured his firm will submit documents.

Likewise, Globe regulatory affairs head Froilan Castelo said his company will comply with the explanation order.

SMART named the first winner of global ‘Green Mobile Award’ (http://http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20090219148470.html)
By EMMIE V. ABADILLA

For using wind and solar energy to power cell sites in remote areas of the country, Smart Communications Inc. (SMART) won the newly introduced "Green Mobile Award" at the 2009 global congress of the mobile phone industry in Barcelona, Spain.


Smart’s "Alternative Power for Cell Sites" program uses renewable energy sources to power cell sites in "off-grid locations" where setting up and operating a cell site is not normally feasible.

To date, Smart has about 68 renewable energy-powered cell sites in the country, of which 41 are run by wind energy while 27 are hybrid – using both wind and solar energy.

Benefits of the program include reduced operational costs due to lower diesel consumption, reduced oil spills and carbon emissions, better community relations and seamless data/voice service in off-grid areas.

Smart started working with a local vendor in December 2006 to set up the Philippines’ first wind-powered cell site in Sitio Guimbitayan in Malapascua Island, northeast of Cebu.

Late last year, a GSM Association (GSMA) Development Fund survey of 25 mobile operators across the developing world that use renewable energy sources concluded that Smart is the leader among mobile network operators worldwide in using wind energy to power its cell sites.

GSMA is the global umbrella organization of the mobile communications industry, covering 219 countries, with over 750 mobile operators, as well as 200 companies, as members.

Judges noted that Smart’s entry was "an impressive project showing real benefits - this reduces fuel and handling costs, pollution, and noise - as well as making mobile communications more widely available by enabling cell sites in off-grid locations."

Smart won over entries from companies such as Nokia Siemens Networks (Environmentally Sustainable Business (ESB) initiative), Vodafone (Reducing Network Energy Use), Alcatel-Lucent (Eco-sustainable Communications Transformation), and Telenor (Climate Change Programme).

AT Kearney, the first carbon-neutral top-management consultancy in the world, sponsored the Green Mobile Award.

"We are proud that a Philippine company has won the first green award to be given by the GSMA. Given the growing global concern about climate change, this is a very relevant and meaningful award that will challenge us to do more," declared SMART president and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno.

SMART also received nominations in the Best Use of Mobile for Social and Economic Development category and the Marketing & Promotion-Best Broadcast Commercial category for the Infoboard Community Solution and the SMART Bring Me Along TV Commercial for Uzzap, respectively, making it the only Filipino company with the most number of nominations in any given GSM Awards season.

This year’s GSM Awards attracted more than 450 companies vying for 16 open categories ranging from mobile services, breakthrough technologies and use of mobile for socio-economic development.

In 2001, SMART won the Most Innovative GSM Wireless Service for Customers award for its electronic wallet service Smart Money.

Meanwhile, SMART Load, the over-the-air prepaid reloading service, was cited as the Best Mobile Application or Service - Consumer Market in 2004. Most recently, SMART’s "1-in-5 Panalo" promo implemented for the global cola brand Pepsi was awarded Best Mobile Advertising in the GSMA’s inaugural Asia Mobile Awards 2007

Telcos told to explain expiration of cellphone credits (http://http://www.gmanews.tv/story/149339/Telcos-told-to-explain-expiration-of-cellphone-credits)
JOHANNA CAMILLE L. SISANTE, GMANews.TV
02/18/2009 | 02:59 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Two House panels on Wednesday ordered the country’s leading telecommunication firms to justify the imposition of an expiry date for mobile phones’ prepaid credit.

Lawmakers compelled Smart Communications, Inc., Globe Telecom, Inc., and Sun Cellular to submit their written explanations within 10 days, indicating why prepaid mobile phone credits have expiration dates.

"Why is it that there is expiry for a prepaid load? For example when you buy P100 you have to consume it within a certain number of days. It's a more glaring example of a short shelf life. Why are you forcing consumers to consume it within a certain period of time?" said Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino during a hearing held by the House committees on Legislative Franchises and Information and Communications Technology.

Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla said he does not see why firms would impose an expiry date for prepaid credit as if it was milk that curdles.

“What's the rationale for telcos to be able to just make our load expire even though we haven’t consumed the full amount?" Remulla asked.

But Smart senior regulatory manager Roy Ibay said there were "financial and technical" reasons for the expiration of prepaid credit, even as he assured his firm will submit documents.

Likewise, Globe regulatory affairs head Froilan Castelo said his company will comply with the explanation order.

In my mind, there can only one financial reason for that: GREED.

Mobile phones aim to be a 'doctor in your pocket' (http://http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/technology/02/19/09/mobile-phones-aim-be-doctor-your-pocket)
Agence France-Presse | 02/19/2009 10:49 AM


BARCELONA - Not content with offering calls, texts and Internet access, the mobile phone industry is convinced it can help save lives and offer health services to millions worldwide.

The idea of a phone serving as a "doctor in your pocket" has gained traction at the industry's biggest trade show, the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona.

Among a slew of possible applications in poor countries, insiders stressed the potential for the mobile phone to remind people to get vaccinations, take medicine, or undergo HIV tests.

Doctors and nurses working at distance from hospitals or clinics can also use mobile connections to relay information on local patients or report disease outbreaks.

"When you consider that there are 2.2 billion mobile phones in the developing world, 305 million computers but only 11 million hospital beds you can instantly see how mobiles can creat effective solutions to address healthcare challenges," said Terry Kramer, strategy director at British operator Vodafone.

The Rockefeller Foundation, the UN Foundation and The Vodafone Foundation announced the Mobile Health (mHealth) Alliance this week, a partnership to advance the use of mobile technology in healthcare.

The UN and Vodafone also released a study, "mHealth for Development: The Opportunity of Mobile Technology for Healthcare in the Developing World," detailing 51 programmes in 26 countries.

The biggest adopters are India with 11 projects and South Africa and Uganda with six each.

"Innovative technology could reduce the pressure on public healthcare systems," Daniel Carucci, vice-president of health at the UN Foundation, told delagates here.

In Uganda, for example, a multiple choice quiz about HIV/AIDS was sent to 15,000 subscribers on the Celtel network in a rural region, inviting them to answer questions and seek tests.

Users who completed the quiz were given free airtime and each time they answered a question wrong they received a message informing them of the correct response.

At the end of the quiz, a final SMS was sent to motivate participants to go for voluntary testing and counseling at a local health centre.

Slightly less than one in five responded and the number of people who went for testing at the centre increased from 1,000 to 1,400 during a six-week period, the report said.

In another example given in the report, health workers in the Amazonas state of Brazil began filling in surveys last October on their mobile phones on incidences of the mosquito-borne dengue fever.

"The devices are providing us with precision (and) the information we need to develop (effective responses) in the areas where the infection levels are high," Luzia de Melo Mustafa, an Amazonas health agent is quoted as saying.

In Mexico, a medical hotline called MedicallHome was launched in 1998 to provide for people without access to a doctor. They can ring or send an SMS to ask for advice.

"Sixty percent of the time, you can replace the doctor," Pedro Yrigoyen, co-founder of MedicallHome told delegates here, highlighting the fact that mobile phones outnumber fixed lines in Mexico by five-to-one.

"Public healthcare is overwhelmed... people wait for hours just to see the doctor."

Elizabeth Boehm, an analyst at research group Forrester, sees the potential for mobile phones to help in public health information campaigns, but also points out limitations.

"One of the main challenges, in mobile health, is that people who are most in need of healthcare are usually more aged, so they don't use the mobile or they're not comfortable with it," she told AFP.

In the developed world, researchers are also looking for ways to harness mobile technology.

In several countries, diabetes sufferers can measure their blood sugar level with a device connected to a mobile phone which sends the data to doctors to verify.

Other applications are seen for monitoring people with heart problems or Alzheimer's disease.

In the United States, a service called "Foodphone" enables a user to take a photo of his or her food before a meal and send it to an expert who replies with information about the nutritional value.

House body seeks review of frequencies (http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20090219148476.html)


The House committee on information communications technology has passed a resolution to conduct a massive performance review of frequencies allocated by the National Telecommunications Commission to local telecommunications firms.

During the committee’s hearing on House Bill 456 which seeks to regulate fees on text messaging, Rep. Abraham Khalil Mitra noted that local telecommunications firms appear to be hoarding frequencies which they are not using.

He noted that the hoarding of this limited resource is preventing the entry of new players in the industry who may be able to offer better service and, at the same time, bring down communication costs due to increased competition.

Mitra had asked the NTC why the regulator allowed local telecom giants Smart Communications and Globe Telecom to suspend its text messaging promos during the peak period last Christmas season.

NTC director Edgardo Cabarios had responded that they allowed the suspension of the lower promotional rates since the telcos claimed their system will be clogged and bog down if rates are not increased during this period when the volume of text messages were expected to double or triple.

However, Mitra pointed out that if the telcos had used all the frequencies assigned to them, then they should not have a problem dealing with the spike in volume of text messages during peak season and thus no need to revert to higher rates.

He added that if local telcos were hesitant to pour in more capital to make full use of these frequencies, then these should be reallocated to other telcos who can use them.

For his part, Rep. Crispin Remulla said that the reason local telcos asked for more frequencies than they need is because they earn extra revenues by selling or leasing these to other telcos, or new entrants in the industry.

Because of these issues, the House ICT Committee resolved to order the NTC to submit a full list of frequencies allocated in the last 10 years and indicate which are being used and which frequencies are still available.

The order includes all frequencies that are the subject of temporary restraining orders issued by the courts.

PLDT raises P5 billion for 2009 capex (http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS20090220148569.html)


The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) yesterday executed a P5 billion Notes Facility Agreement for 5-year, 7-year and 10-year Fixed Rate Notes (FXNs) to meet its 2009 capital expenditure (capex).

Due to strong demand from investors, PLDT decided to raise the issue amount to P5 billion from the original target of P3 billion.

"The FXNs oversubscription is a testament to the strength of the PLDT name," according to FMIC President Francisco C. Sebastian. "Amidst these very challenging times and as flight to quality remains to be an investor’s utmost concern, this PLDT deal is a success by any measure."

First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC), the investment banking arm of the Metrobank Group, arranged the deal. The 17 participating Lenders were a mix of leading insurance companies, large local commercial, trust and savings banks, and retirement and provident funds.

"The mix of participating lenders, and the fact that we saw equally strong interest in the longer tenor with 10-year maturity comparable to the shorter tenors, affirms high investor confidence in PLDT’s future prospects," Sebastian added.

^^ What a coincidence that SMART selected the Plug n Talk Solution of Outsmart. SMART selecting OUTSMART!! :lol::lol:

can't imagine if Globe got this first... "Globe's new offering - OUTSMART" :lol:

Manila Times
February 23, 2009

Bell Telecommunication to roll
out cellular phone service


Bell Telecommunication Philippines, Inc. (BellTel) has asked the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) not to recall its assigned frequency so it can rollout a cellular mobile telephone service (CMTS).

The regulator earlier issued a show cause order against BellTel for nonusage of assigned frequencies within the 1710-1720/1805-1815 megahertz (MHz) band, which are within the wireless local loop band.

The company told NTC that it wants to reallocate its frequencies for Personal Communications Systems/Personal Communications Network (PCS/PCN) mobile service.

“BellTell has yet to wait for a memo circular on the reallocation of its assigned frequency in the 1710-1720/1805-1815 MHz band from WLL to Broadband Wireless,” the telco said.

BellTel—which is 32.4 percent owned by publicly listed South China Resources Inc.—assured the regulator that the moment the reallocation circular is approved, it would be ready to implement the planned rollout of its nationwide digital mobile network using its 1.8 gigahertz (GHz) frequencies.

The company’s licenses include local exchange carrier (LEC), international gateway facility (IGF), interexchange carrier (IXC), very small aperture terminal (VSAT) and Internet service provider (ISP). It offers an integrated package of services including local and long distance telephone services, high speed data connectivity, Internet services, cable television and videoconferencing.

BelTel’s VSAT has the capacity to provide converged high-bandwidth data services and high-capacity voice services to different industries nationwide.

Using VSAT, the firm can offer satellite-based broadband Internet and other data-centric services and digital telephone lines to companies in the tourism, manufacturing, mining, government agencies, hotels and resorts, exporters-importers in the countryside and in urban centers nationwide.

The company said its target market includes large domestic and multinational corporations, financial and government institutions as well as small medium enterprises and high-end residential customers.

At present, BellTel’s network covers an area of about 1,600 square kilometers and a population of 15 million people in Metro Manila as well as the provinces of Cavite and Laguna.
-- Darwin G. Amojelar

More players is good for the consumers.:)

CICT back to old form as it reabsorbs Telof, DoTC units (http://www.mb.com.ph/INFO20090223148827.html)


In a surprising turn of events, Malacañang has ordered the transfer of the Telecommunications Office (Telof) and all other operating units of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) that have communication functions to the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT).

The transfer was contained in Executive Order 780 issued by Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on January 29. The directive took effect 15 days after its publication in a national newspaper.

This development comes on the heels of the transfer of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to the CICT last month.

In an official statement issued on February 20, CICT chair Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III said that he was "ecstatic" about the transfer since the CICT has finally been returned to its original form.

"The CICT has been severely handicapped in the pursuit of its mandate over the last few years because of the absence of NTC, Telof and the communications units of DoTC," Roxas-Chua said in a statement.

"This recent transfer undoubtedly makes us better equipped to implement our initiatives, particularly in the areas of digital convergence and universal access," he added.

Nevertheless, Roxas Chua said he still believes it is important for the CICT to become a department.

"While this recent transfer makes us whole again, we are still looking forward to the passage of Senate Bill No. 2546 creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology, so we will finally be established by law and have a greater sense of permanence," said Roxas-Chua in the statement.

The Telof and the communications units of the DoTC were first transferred from the DoTC to the CICT when the CICT was created in 2004 by EO 269, but was subsequently transferred back to the DoTC in 2007 by EO 603. EO 708 effectively repeals EO 603.

In line with EO 269, the Telof is expected to form the Information Infrastructure Group of the CICT that will focus on universal access and provision of ICT-related services in unserved and underserved areas, the CICT said.

The Telof is currently headed by DoTC assistant secretary Lorenzo G. Formoso III, who will assume the position of CICT commissioner alongside commissioners Angelo Timoteo M. Diaz de Rivera, Monchito Ibrahim, and Consuelo Perez.

Globe Telecom cancels underwater cable in whaleshark town
02/25/2009 | 06:23 PM

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay - Whalesharks or the butanding in the waters of Donsol town in Sorsogon province will no longer be threatened after the Globe Telecom cancelled the installation of underwater cable as part of its service improvement and expansion.

Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda, chairman of the Regional Development Council in Bicol, cited Globe president Gerry Ablaza for acceding to his request to move the landing of its fiber optic cable away from Donsol.

The cancelation of the 164 underwater cable from Donsol to Calbayog, Northern Samar would preserve the habitat of the friendly whale shark, Salceda said.

It is because of the whale sharks that Donsol has become a popular tourist destination. - Michael B. Jaucian GMANews.TV

^^ It's good news at the end of the day. Good for the environment and habitat of the whale sharks. Globe can always move the cable and still reach its objective for the benefit of the community.

Globe bares Globe Broadband Tattoo (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=443532&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
Updated February 26, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - Globe lives up to its promise of providing relevant and easy-to-use services by introducing Globe Broadband Tattoo, a revamped mobile Internet service available in prepaid and postpaid variants, that allows subscribers to stay connected while on-the-go, without breaking the bank.

Globe Broadband Tattoo, formerly known as Globe Visibility, uses a USB stick that works as a modem. Users simply plug the stick into their PCs or laptops to surf the Web anytime, anywhere. 3G and High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) technology enables high-speed connectivity and fast downloads. With Globe Broadband Tattoo, users can experience speeds of up to 2 Mbps. That makes activities like social networking, chatting, blogging, emailing and even streaming music and movies much more enjoyable yet still affordable.

Globe redesigned Globe Broadband Tattoo not just as a connectivity tool for its users, but a lifestyle tool as well. Users can now choose from a range of three hip and trendy Globe Broadband Tattoo USB designs, featuring artwork in black, orange, or blue. Depending on the user’s personal style, they can choose the skin that reflects their personalities and lifestyles the most.

The Globe Broadband Tattoo prepaid kit comes with a free P100 load that is equivalent to five hours of free Internet time. On top of that, users pay only P5 per 15 minutes on the Internet.

And once users have consumed their free load, reloading the Globe Broadband Tattoo prepaid SIM is easy because it can be loaded like a regular prepaid SIM, whether through share-a-load, Globe load or prepaid call cards

Users may also opt for a postpaid plan for Globe Broadband Tattoo; there is a range of plans for as low as P 799 per month with 60 free mobile Internet hours each month.

Aside from using Globe Broadband Tattoo as a mobile Internet modem, the SIM card inside the USB can also be used for calls and sending text messages at regular cellphone rates. The USB also comes with a built-in expansion slot where users can insert their own Micro SD card for additional file storage.

With a funkier look and free Internet time, the new Globe Broadband Tattoo prepaid kit is a steal for only P1895.

The new Globe Broadband Tattoo is available nationwide. For more information, please call (02) 730 1000 or visit www.globebroadbandtattoo.com.ph.

SMC to expand presence in telecommunications sector (http://http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=443523&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
By Mary Ann LL. Reyes Updated February 26, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has confirmed it is expanding its presence in the telecommunications business, which industry observers said will be made via a possible investment in an existing mobile phone service company.

SMC made the confirmation in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) without giving details.

There are reports that SMC may invest in Express Telecommunications, a cellular mobile telephone system (CMTS) licensee. Previously, there were rumors of a possible buy-out by SMC of Lopez-owned Bayan Telecommunications. Extelcom and BayanTel are both under corporate rehabilitation.

SMC president and COO Ramon Ang and Extelcom officials reportedly presented to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) a plan to upgrade the Extelcom analog platform to GSM.

An industry official said Extelcom may need additional frequency if it wants to offer mobile phone services.

When asked earlier to confirm SMC’s purchase of Extelcom, Ang said: “We are still in talks.”

Extelcom has not been using its full 10 megahertz (MHz) of spectrum in 800 MHz, specifically within 835-845 MHz/880-890MHz. Further, the company was also given five MHz of additional bandwidth in the 1800-MHz range in September 2001.

Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and CURE are all eyeing Extelcom frequencies because these are of a lower bandwidth than the current 3G frequencies assigned to them. As such, their transmission and reception capability covers a greater range from a technology standpoint. This characteristic can permit the use of fewer 3G base stations and network elements, while still providing substantial coverage.

“Extelcom frequencies can also be used for the deployment of wireless broadband services particularly in rural areas. They are not that keen on competing with the two cellular giants, which have already established their presence in the cellular market. Broadband is more in the horizon and that is where they will be,” a source said.

SMC is also is negotiating to acquire up to 60 percent of publicly listed Liberty Telecom Holdings Inc., Ang earlier confirmed.

He declined to disclose the status of the negotiations but said that SMC was prepared to comply with the tender offer rule, which requires an investor to offer to buy out minority shareholders if it buys at least 35 percent of a publicly held company.

Ang said the “very good frequency” in the congressional franchise of Liberty Telecom’s subsidiary was what attracted SMC to offer to acquire the firm.

Another favorable factor is that Liberty Telecom is partnering with Qatar Telecom (Qtel), the exclusive telecommunications service provider in Qatar, Ang added.

Liberty Telecom recently said it was increasing its authorized capital stock by P4.8 billion by issuing preferred shares.

San Miguel recently initiated talks with Qtel on a possible joint venture partnership that will take advantage of opportunities in the wireless broadband, mobile and mobile broadband businesses in the Philippines.

San Miguel has been aggressively expanding, acquiring the stake of state-run pension fund Government Service Insurance System in power retailer Manila Electric Co. and agreeing to buy a 51-percent interest in oil refiner and retailer Petron Corp. from British investment fund Ashmore group.