MANILA, Philippines, May 10, 2013 – The mobile internet revenues of telecoms leader PLDT rose 42% to almost P1 billion in the first quarter compared to the same period last year as more Filipinos turned to their smartphones and tablet computers to access the internet.
"The continuous brisk growth in our mobile internet revenues reflects the double-digit growth of data-capable devices in our network," said Smart Communications Chief Wireless Advisor and Sun Cellular CEO Orlando B. Vea. Smart and Sun Cellular are the mobile subsidiaries of PLDT.
Vea noted that the number of smartphones in the PLDT Group network went up by 25% from the end-2012 figure as the cost of these mobile phones continues to fall.
He noted PLDT expects that the launch of smartphones in the US$50 (P2,000) level would translate to much stronger take-up of these devices and more importantly, translate to higher mobile internet revenues.
“Last year’s market dynamics have pushed us to take a more aggressive and innovative stance to address the growing market of data users. We have intensified our support infrastructure, increased browsing speeds, and focused even more closely on addressing the specific data needs of consumers,” said Charles Lim, the PLDT Group’s Head for Individual Business.
Lim said the PLDT Group will step up its internet-bundled service offers to its mobile subscribers in anticipation of the growing demand of Filipinos for these services.
A combination of attractively priced services, high-performing devices, and a supercharged network propelled the 36 percent increase in Smart’s mobile internet revenues in the first quarter.
One of the major growth drivers was Smart Bro’s roster of FlexiSurf postpaid plans, which makes available the latest tablets and laptops at more affordable price packages.
Also popular was the mobile app suite SmartNet, which encouraged mobile Internet usage by giving subscribers a free taste of popular Internet services such as Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Chat, Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Mail, and Yahoo! Search. SmartNet recently reached one million users.
Smart also unveiled Long Term Evolution (LTE) packages which allow selected postpaid subscribers to enjoy speeds of up to 42Mbps on their LTE-enabled devices for as low as P50 a day. Smart LTE usage is expected to grow further with the recent launch of the country’s first and only prepaid LTE service.
Smart continues to expand the country’s largest LTE network. To date, Smart has close to 1,000 LTE-enabled sites located in over 115 cities and municipalities across the Philippines—over 10 times more widespread than its competitor.
This expanded LTE coverage is supported by over 54,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables (FOCs) connecting a growing number of Smart’s base stations to the core network, enabling it and its parent company PLDT to deliver the best data services at the speed of light.
Sun Cellular launched late last year its Sundroid Rush subscription bundles that feature a smartphone handset paired with a tablet for as low as P600 a month. Lim said that this campaign has become a platform for increasing mobile internet usage of Sun subscribers.
He added that while these subscription packages were originally intended as a promotion, it now became a mainstay in Sun’s postpaid line-up.
Following the success of the Plan 600 Alcatel bundle, Sun introduced early this year its Sundroid Plan 999 – Samsung bundle edition, a Plan 450 variant that carries the MyPhone bundle edition, and the latest – the Samsung 1799 Bundle that features high-end gadgets like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 and the Samsung Galaxy Grand.
"We will definitely continue providing mobile internet services at every price point backed up by the strongest connectivity infrastructure anywhere in the country,” said Lim.
