Telecommunications Industry

[iantidz]

mura lang kasi ang lupain dito, less 300T per hectare unlike Millions sa subdivisions so na punta lahat ng budget sa bahay mismo disadvantage lang wireless lahat, phone(bayantel), tv(satellite), internet(3G), buti nalang may electricity

Originally Posted by amigo32

parang ang ganda ng bahay mo ah. hehehe

you're lucky enough, you don't need a pico repeater to get decent HSDPA signal.

[amigo32]

saan ba yan?

so helicopter din sasakayan papunta sa town proper? j/k

[iantidz]

Mag swimming ka muna ng 3 ilog para maka rating sa bahay namin LOL (O.T.)

Originally Posted by amigo32

saan ba yan?

so helicopter din sasakayan papunta sa town proper? j/k

[Nanflexal]

Originally Posted by amigo32

parang ang ganda ng bahay mo ah. hehehe

you're lucky enough, you don't need a pico repeater to get decent HSDPA signal.



hopefully, if the first one is a success

how about your outdoor radio? i can recommend some radio and cheap but reliable.

[marlowe_cano]

SMART's NEW PROMO OFFER

[iantidz]

so meaning crawling speed smartbro natin nito this friday dahil tra trapik

[amigo32]

Originally Posted by iantidz

so meaning crawling speed smartbro natin nito this friday dahil tra trapik

wala pa bang wimax sa area nyo?



kumuha kasi ako ng 1mbps subscription sa globe dito sa Manila, ok namn

[iantidz]

meron under globe wimax pro pina check ko na sa installer walang signal sa bahay namin, same with smartbro yong canopy walang signal din, as in 3G lang talaga available.

[Englehart]

yung cable type di rin pede?

[Retro]

Cable TV, landline service disruption looms

The Manila Times.net
Friday, 30 July 2010 00:00
By DARWIN G. AMOJELAR SENIOR REPORTER

HUNDREDS of thousands of paying Bayan and Skycable subscribers risk losing their signals if their service providers fail to renew their contracts with Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) for the use of the power distributor’s ubiquitous poles. The country’s largest power distributor on Thursday warned that beginning August 1 it will exercise its legal right to disconnect from its electric poles all cable attachments of telecom and cable TV service providers whose contracts have expired.

“All persons and entities who may be affected by the disconnection of the cable attachments are advised to take proper precautionary measures to prevent or minimize whatever inconvenience may arise,” Meralco said.

Meralco said it will not assume liability for any damage or loss that may result from the exercise of its property and contractual rights.

The group of Manuel Pangilinan, which controls Meralco through Metro Pacific Investment Corp. and Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, also owns Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).

Meralco’s move will disrupt the services of Bayan Telecommunications Inc.—a PLDT rival—and Sky Cable Inc. as both Lopez-controlled firms have yet to renew their contract with the electricity distributor.

The Lopez group used to own Meralco before they sold a controlling stake to the Pangilinan group at a time when the San Miguel Corp. was trying to make a hostile takeover of the distribution utility.

“We have written Meralco formally to tell them that we are committed to sign the contract and just need the formality of board approval,” John Rojo, Bayan vice president for corporate brands and communication, said.

Rojo said Bayan and Skycable’s electric pole contracts will expire this year.

SkyCable has about 500,000 subscribers nationwide, of which 200,000 are in Metro Manila. Bayan has more than 400,000 customers nationwide, with 250,000 in Metro Manila.

Yoly Crisanto, Globe Telecom Inc. head of corporate communications, said her company won’t be affected by Meralco’s planned disconnection of third-party riders to the utility’s electric poles.

“Globe has its own poles in Metro Manila, so we will not be affected [by] Meralco’s move if ever,” she said.

In areas outside Metro Manila, Globe’s electric poles contract is valid until 2012, she added.

Digital Telecommunications Philippines Inc. and Destiny Cable were unavailable for comment as this went to press.

All fixed line telcos and cable TV companies are using Meralco poles in their franchise areas in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Rizal and Quezon.

Earlier, PLDT announced that it will use Meralco’s poles and and fiber optic network to provide Internet connectivity or broadband over power lines (BPL) directly to 4.5 million households.

BPL is one of the potential business synergies that PLDT and Meralco are exploring.

By piggybacking on Meralco’s existing infrastructure, PLDT would save about P8 billion in capital outlay needed to set up its own poles, excluding rights of way and maintenance.

[Retro]

CICT, NTC won't be under DOTC

By Mary Ann LL. Reyes (The Philippine Star)
Updated August 02, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose de Jesus disclosed over the weekend that the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will not be under the control and supervision of his department but will be indirectly under the Office of the President.

In an interview, De Jesus also hinted that proposals to convert the CICT to a department may not get the backing of the current administration.

“But everything is still under review. Anything is possible,” he pointed out.

He said CICT will still be under the Office of the President (OP) and the NTC under its supervision.

The CICT was created in 2004, by virtue of EO 269, signed by then President Arroyo as a transitory measure to the creation of a Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

It is composed of the National Computer Center (NCC), the Telecommunications Office (TELOF), and all other operating units of the DOTC dealing with communications. The NTC and the Philippine Postal Corp. (PhilPost) were also attached to the CICT for policy coordination. The CICT took over the functions of the Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Council (ITECC), which was subsequently abolished through EO no. 334. CICT was originally under the OP.

EO 454 issued in 2005, transferred the NTC back to the DOTC. According to EO 454, the transfer “will streamline bureaucracy operations.” While the reasons for the transfer were unclear, there were discussions that placing the NTC under the CICT would be a bureaucratic anomaly since it is unusual for a commission to fall under another commission.

Then in Feb. 2007, EO 603, the TELOF and all other operating units of the CICT dealing with communications were transferred back to the DOTC. According to EO 603, the transfer “is necessitated by the present demands of national development and concomitant development projects as it will streamline bureaucracy operations and effectively promote fast, efficient and reliable networks of communication system and services.” The transfer of the TELOF to the DOTC left the CICT with just two agencies – the NCC and the PhilPost.

EO 648, signed on August 6, 2007 but published only on Dec. 24, 2008, transferred the NTC back to the CICT.

Another subsequent issuance, EO 780 signed on Jan. 29, 2009, transferred the TELOF and all other operating units of the DOTC dealing with communications back to the CICT.

Several bills have filed in Congress for the creation of the CICT. While there has been support in the House of Representatives, the proposal always manages to get killed in Senate.

Various groups are also supporting the creation of a DICT, in order to give the ICT sector the importance it deserves.

The Joint Foreign Chambers, the Business Processing Association of the Philippines, the Contact Center Association of the Philippines, the Management Association of the Philippines, and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry were all pushing for the creation of a DICT even prior to the May polls.

In a letter to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senate committee on science and technology chair Edgardo Angara, the groups said having a DICT would enable the country “to become the premier global location in East Asia for IT-enabled services,” as well as allow the government to better deliver services to Filipinos nationwide.

For its part, the Joint Foreign Chambers said the country must address the challenges and opportunities to become a larger player in this dynamic and ever-changing industry. “Major issues facing the sector are human resources, intellectual property rights, security, data protection, quality management and standards, all of which require high-level interfaces with other departments of the Philippine government and other domestic and international organizations,” the JFC said.

The JFC said communications and transportation are vital infrastructure functions for the country that should logically be the responsibility of separate departments.

“The ease and cost of doing business, the overall investment climate and, indeed, the daily life of every Filipino are vitally affected by the performance of each of these departments,” the JFC said.

[Retro]

De Jesus: DOTC plate too full for NTC

BusinessMirror Philippines
Written by Lenie Lectura / Reporter
Monday, 02 August 2010 21:42

TRANSPORTATION and Communications Secretary Jose de Jesus said it’s best for the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) not to be transferred back to his department because he already has his hands full on transportation-related matters. “The DOTC is already too large as it is. No, I don’t have any intention of getting it back.”

Control of the NTC was transferred to the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) by Executive Order 648 issued by former President Gloria Arroyo on August 6, 2007 (released by the Malacañang Records Office on December 23, 2008).

The NTC is currently headed by Gamaliel Cordoba, who assumed his post in August last year, and deputy commissioners Douglas Michael Mallillin, who joined the NTC in April last year, and Jaime Fortes.

Some reports have it the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Ayala-led companies will be represented in the NTC, as well as broadcaster ABS-CBN. However, there has been no formal announcement from Malacañang.

Ronald Solis, former NTC commissioner, agrees the NTC should no longer be under the DOTC. “DOTC is too big and can’t handle special technical concerns of NTC. The proposed DICT [Department of Information and Communications Technology] should be created.”

Under the proposed bill, the proposed DICT would be spun off from the DOTC. In effect, all existing DOTC offices dealing with communications would either be built into or attached to the DICT, including the NTC and the Philippine Postal Corp. The National Computer Center, now assigned to the Department of Science and Technology, would also be ceded to the DICT.

“The DOTC’s administrative and jurisdictional foundations can no longer cope with the rapid advances in Information and communications technologies [ICT]. Thus, the need to establish a wholly new, full-grown department to deal with ICT matters exclusively,” said former congressman Joseph Santiago of Catanduanes, one of the bill endorsers.

Santiago, himself a former chief of the NTC, said the new department would “promote a policy environment of fairness, broad private-sector participation in ICT development, and balanced investment between high-growth and economically depressed districts.”

The bill defines ICT as “the aggregate of all electronic means to collect, store, process and present information to end-users in support of their activities.”

The bill seeks to accelerate development of convergent networks of ICT facilities, universal access and high-speed connectivity at fair and reasonable cost, ample ICT services in areas not sufficiently served by the private sector, widespread use and application of emerging ICT, a strong and effective regulatory system, adequate consumer protection, as well as free and fair competition, assure abundant human resources for ICT development, incentives to grow ICT industries, protection of the right to privacy, and ICT support for culture, education, as well as public health and safety.

ICT consists of computer systems, office channels and consumer electronics, as well as networked information infrastructure, the components of which include the telephone system, the Internet and satellite/cable television.

[Retro]

Bucket price offers affect telco incomes

BusinessMirror Philippines
Written by Lenie Lectura / Reporter
Tuesday, 03 August 2010 20:13

WHAT has made the cellular firms wealthy in the past years could be reducing their incomes now.

Unlimited bucket price offerings have indeed been popular for consumers for many years now but it seems that the popularity no longer translates to profitability.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), which handled over 1 billion text messages and more than 100 million minutes of calls every day for the past six months, said text revenues have declined by 14 percent despite increasing volumes.

Text volumes and voice calls from January to June this year were higher by 27 percent and 279 percent year-on-year, respectively. However, yields have declined to P0.12 per text and P1.25 per minute of voice on higher traffic volumes.

“It’s a function of price because Smart added net additions of 4 million subscribers in the first half and we have seen the effect in revenues which is basically neutral. In the past, this could have driven much higher revenues. And the average price per text is now down to P0.12 and the lowest price for bucket pricing is down to P0.04 per text. So, unless the industry works itself out to have a more productive scheme then we will see this behavior on text revenues,” said PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said during the presentation of its first-half financial results for the year.

Close to 90 to 95 percent of the text messages processed by PLDT’s cellular network today are enrolled in various unlimited offer promotions. As such, PLDT president Napoleon Nazareno said, “We are nearing that bottom as far as revenues are concerned.”

Still, PLDT plans to continue offering unlimited pricing schemes because the average revenue per user is still much higher than the subscriber acquisition cost. “So, as far as we are concerned, the more the better for us to take on more subscribers or as much SIM enrollment as we can,” Nazareno explained.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom Inc.—which posted a 25-percent drop in core net income at end-June to P5.2 billion from P6.9 billion  and a much lower net income to P5.1 billion from P7.2 billion—continued to churn out marginal subscribers.

Globe’s consolidated service revenues for the first half of the year was P30.7 billion, down 3 percent from last year’s P31.7 billion. Despite an increase in traffic and overall usage, Globe’s mobile revenues were lower with sustained price pressures resulting from intense competition and subscribers’ increasing preference for lower-yield bucket and unlimited promotions.  The appreciation of the peso likewise weighed down the company’s revenues, with US dollar-linked revenues comprising 28 percent of consolidated revenues during the period

“Our first-half results are reflective of the challenges facing the industry—traffic is growing, but revenues are declining with the market’s increasing preference for unlimited services.  Competition is becoming more intense, and will likely further intensify as the market slows,” said Globe president Ernest Cu.

The key to protecting Globe’s business, said Cu, is to “differentiate ourselves from competition by providing superior end-to-end customer service.”

“We have strong brands with good value propositions, a large and loyal retail and corporate subscriber base, and an extensive and robust network,” he said, adding that the company’s immediate goal is to recover revenue market share in our mobile business. 

PLDT, which posted yesterday a reported net income of P21.7 billion in the first half of the year from P19.7 billion in the same period last year, is moving “beyond the verticality of the traditional business telco business model” to a more “horizontal perspective via our strategic platform and infrastructure investments.”

Both officials said this will offset the decline in text revenues.

“We have to look at the horizontal aspects of the telco industry. We are really looking at related business more or less along the same plane,” said Pangilinan.

Smart, which ended the first half of the year with 45.3 million subscribers, offers free Internet to its subscribers every Friday. This, Nazareno said, will help offset the decline in text revenues. “We are promoting mobile internet. The mobile Internet popularity will be the one that will offset the decline in SMS (short message service) revenues. More or less, this will prevail in the ensuing months,” said the PLDT president.

Nazareno said the PLDT group has implemented control mechanisms to prevent usage abuse and protect regular subscriber’s quality of service as it lowers the cost of delivery for unlimited service. “We are doing it in a carefully crafted manner as far as our network is concerned.”

The company’s service revenues decreased by 1 percent to P72.2 billion due to a 5-percent decline in data and ICT revenues largely as a result of the 13-percent decline in cellular data/SMS revenues. However, voice revenues grew 3 percent and broadband/internet and corporate data revenues rose 21 percent. Mobile phone service revenue accounted for two-thirds of the group’s service revenue in the first half.

This year, the PLDT group may see service revenues growing by 2 percent from P145.6 billion in 2009. Its core net income for 2010 is expected to be slightly higher than the P41 billion in 2009 resulting from the increase in revenues, the contribution from its investment in Meralco, and lower income tax provision.

“With first half results being encouraging, core profit guidance for 2010 is in excess of P41 billion and capital investments should remain at P28.6 billion. While we believe that there is still room for growth in the broadband space, we do recognize that our core markets are maturing,” Pangilinan said.

[Retro]

Telcos, cable firms renew contract

By DARWIN G. AMOJELAR
The Manila Times.net
Wednesday, 11 August 2010

THE looming service interruption of major telecom and cable firms has been averted, after some of the companies piggy-backing on the electric poles of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) have renewed their contracts with the utility. In a text message, Joe Zaldarriaga, Meralco external communications manager, said Bayan Telecommunications Inc., Sky Cable, Eastern Telecommunications Phils. Inc., Smart Communications Inc., Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., Globe Telecom Inc. and Destiny Cable have renewed their respective contracts to use the power distributor’s electric poles.

Zaldrriaga said the new contracts cover the period until December 31, 2011.

John Rojo, Bayan vice president for corporate brands and communication, confirmed that Sky Cable and Bayan already renewed their respective contracts with Meralco.

Zaldrriaga said talks are ongoing for the renewal of Digital Telecommunications Phils. Inc. (Digitel) contract with Meralco.

He said 17 out of the 91 pole users have yet to renew their contracts.

“They have either not renewed or expressed intention to renew. We have given them ample and sufficient time to renew having said that we will enforce whatever is stated in [the] notice [of disconnection],” the Meralco official said.

All fixed-line telcos and cable TV companies use Meralco poles in their franchise areas in Metro Manila and in the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, Rizal and Quezon.

Last month, the country’s largest power distributor warned that beginning August 1 it will exercise its legal right to disconnect from its electric poles all cable attachments of telecom and cable TV service providers whose contracts had expired.

Meralco said it would not assume liability for any damage or loss that may result from the exercise of its property and contractual rights.

The group of Manuel Pangilinan, which controls Meralco through Metro Pacific Investment Corp. and Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, also owns Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).

Earlier, PLDT announced that it will use Meralco’s poles and fiber optic network to provide Internet connectivity or broadband over power lines (BPL) directly to 4.5 million households.

BPL is one of the potential business synergies that PLDT and Meralco are exploring.

By piggybacking on Meralco’s existing infrastructure, PLDT would save about P8 billion in capital outlay needed to set up its own poles, excluding rights of way and maintenance.

[april boy]

SMC buys Bell, secures cellular capability


By JAMES A. LOYOLA
August 16, 2010, 4:37pm
Manila Bulletin

San Miguel Corporation, thru its wholly-owned subsidiary, Vega Telecom, Inc., has acquired a controlling stake in Bell Telecommunication Philippines, Inc. – to beef up its telecommunications investments with a cellular network service.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, SMC said Vega subscribed to new shares of stock of Two Cassandra-CCI Conglomerates, Inc. (TCCI), Perchpoint Holdings Corporation (PHC) and Power Smart Capital Limited (PSCL) on July 30, 2010.

Through these subscriptions, Vega shall own up to 75 percent of the outstanding capital stock of the said corporations. TCCI, PHC and PSCL collectively own 100 percent of the outstanding capital stock of BellTel.

Two Cassandra once owned a minimal stake in Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc., which was bought by San Miguel Corporation, together with partner Qatar Telecoms Inc., last year.

Belltel is a grantee of a franchise to install, operate and maintain local exchange networks and wireless local loop (WLL) in several areas including special economic zones, inter-exchange networks, nationwide VSAT network, international gateway facilities, and cellular mobile telecommunications network.

The National Telecommunications Commission had earlier approved the transfer of ownership of BellTel to Two Cassandra-CCI Conglomerates Inc. – paving the way for a P3.6 billion cash infusion.

In its order dated February 3, 2010, the NTC said allowing Two Cassandra to own 100 percent of Belltel will allow the infusion of “needed capital to expand its (Belltel’s) existing infrastructure and build new infrastructures to be able to contend in the highly competitive telecommunications market.”

Among documents submitted to the NTC to show their financial capability were banks’ certifications that Belltel has an existing deposit amounting to P315.4 millon while Two Cassandra has a deposit of P3.6 billion.

[Retro]

Mobile broadband seen growing by 300%

Business Insight Malaya
BY MYLA IGLESIAS
August 20, 2010

The number of mobile broadband users in the country is expected grow by more than 300 percent this year, driven by Filipinos’ penchant for visiting social networking sites (SNN) and lower prices of devices and mobile connections, according to National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) official.

Edgardo Cabarrios, director of NTC’s common and carrier authorization division, said telecommunication firms are projecting the same growth for mobile broadband.

Data from the NTC showed that the country’s wireless broadband subscribers stood by about 1.5 million subscribers. Mobile broadband services include the Globe Telecom Inc’s Tattoo and Smart Communications Inc’s SmartBro respectively.

Telecom firms hope that the broadband revenues will offset the decline in SMS and voice revenues by next year.

Cabarrios said the mobile broadband revenues are expected to overtake the revenue contribution of major telecom services in the call and text services in the next two years as prices of devices continue to decline.

Cabarrios said the country’s mobile phone subscribers will reach more than 83 million or a 10 percent increase from last year’s 75.5 million.

Last year’s cellular phone subscribers were up by about 11 percent compared to the previous year’s 68 million according to data from the NTC.

Cabarrios explained that the number of subscribers can even reach more than 100 percent penetration rate due to the multiple SIM card users. The unlimited promos and bucket offering have triggered subscribers to acquire more than one SIM card as it became cheaper to calls and text messages within the same network.

Of the total 75.5 million subscribers, half are multiple users, the NTC said.

[kikodj]

Originally Posted by april boy

SMC buys Bell, secures cellular capability


By JAMES A. LOYOLA
August 16, 2010, 4:37pm
Manila Bulletin

San Miguel Corporation, thru its wholly-owned subsidiary, Vega Telecom, Inc., has acquired a controlling stake in Bell Telecommunication Philippines, Inc. – to beef up its telecommunications investments with a cellular network service.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, SMC said Vega subscribed to new shares of stock of Two Cassandra-CCI Conglomerates, Inc. (TCCI), Perchpoint Holdings Corporation (PHC) and Power Smart Capital Limited (PSCL) on July 30, 2010.

Through these subscriptions, Vega shall own up to 75 percent of the outstanding capital stock of the said corporations. TCCI, PHC and PSCL collectively own 100 percent of the outstanding capital stock of BellTel.

Two Cassandra once owned a minimal stake in Liberty Telecoms Holdings Inc., which was bought by San Miguel Corporation, together with partner Qatar Telecoms Inc., last year.

Belltel is a grantee of a franchise to install, operate and maintain local exchange networks and wireless local loop (WLL) in several areas including special economic zones, inter-exchange networks, nationwide VSAT network, international gateway facilities, and cellular mobile telecommunications network.

The National Telecommunications Commission had earlier approved the transfer of ownership of BellTel to Two Cassandra-CCI Conglomerates Inc. – paving the way for a P3.6 billion cash infusion.

In its order dated February 3, 2010, the NTC said allowing Two Cassandra to own 100 percent of Belltel will allow the infusion of “needed capital to expand its (Belltel’s) existing infrastructure and build new infrastructures to be able to contend in the highly competitive telecommunications market.”

Among documents submitted to the NTC to show their financial capability were banks’ certifications that Belltel has an existing deposit amounting to P315.4 millon while Two Cassandra has a deposit of P3.6 billion.

has NOKIA (north) and ERICSSON (south) won the bids for this project's equipments? thanks..

[kikodj]

Cell Sites



















shot by me - kikodj

[-SNPKLSDMBLDR-]

meron ba ditong subscriber ng Globe Wimax? is it worth it or depende lang talaga sa location?

[amigo32]

meron ako. depende rin siguro sa lugar. meron din kasi disconnection kahit may signal naman.