Category: Telecoms

ABS-CBN looking to break the telco duopoly

Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

The Lopez-led media conglomerate, ABS-CBN Corporation, has recently announced that it inked a Network Sharing Agreement with Globe Telecoms that will pave the way for the media company’s plan of being one of the key players in the local telecommunications industry.

The Network Sharing Agreement that ABS-CBN and Globe recently signed allows the former to use Globe’s servers, towers and switches that would enable the media company to deliver traditional telco services such as SMS, voice calls and internet surfing.

abscbn globe
(From left to right: Carlo Katigbak, Eugenio Lopez III and Ernest Cu)

However, Chairman Eugenio Lopez III pointed out that the focus of their services will be on the data components rather than the voice components. This is in line with the broadcast firm’s plan of including exclusive digital contents to their services to future ABS-CBN Mobile users. Globe’s CEO Ernest Cu adds by saying that “The exclusive content that ABS-CBN will provide ushers in a new form of entertainment for mobile users in the Philippines.”

“We have come to realize that the mobile Internet is going to become one of the most important platforms for delivering content to our audiences. We believe that in the same way television revolutionized the mass market’s ability to receive information and entertainment, the wireless Internet will be the next most important medium for our audience. Very soon, our Kapamilyas will enjoy special shows, receive our news, and interact with our stars from anywhere and anytime they want, through their tablets and cellphones,”

-Carlo Katigbak, ABS-CBN Head of Convergence

There’s no word when ABS-CBN plans to launch its new mobile platform, but it’s been said that the broadcasting firm will be investing some 2 to 3 billion pesos over the course of the next three years for the initial rollout.

{source}

The post ABS-CBN looking to break the telco duopoly appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Globe offers BlackBerry Q10 free on Php1499 plan

yuga Leave a comment

Last night Globe has announced that it will exclusively (at least until July 7) offer the new BlackBerry Q10 on their network for only Php1,499 monthly service fee.

The free handset can be had with the lowest postpaid plan of only Php1,499 monthly under the best-ever MySuperPlan 999 with a monthly cashout of Ph5p00 over a 24-month contract period.

So that’s MySuperPlan 999 with free unlimited LTE surfing with a cash-out of Php12,000 that can be deferred at Php500 a month for 24 months (thus, the Php1,499 MSF).

On Plan 1799, there’s a Php2,400 cash-out and it’s completely free under Plan 2499 and higher.

BlackBerry Philippines has pegged the suggested retail price at Php31,990.

You can reserve your plan from Globe here.

The post Globe offers BlackBerry Q10 free on Php1499 plan appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Lumia 720 now free at Sun Plan 999

Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

Sun Cellular has posted on their FB page that consumers can now get the Nokia Lumia 720 free under their postpaid Plan 999.

The postpaid plan will include unlimited mobile internet (subjected to FUP of course), unlimited intra-network SMS and 4 hours’ worth of Sun-to-Sun calls.

lumia 720 philippines

You can apply for this postpaid plan online by heading over to this link or you can personally drop by any Sun Shop. Just make sure that you have the requirements handy! For more information about the Lumia 720, you can check out our full review here.

The post Lumia 720 now free at Sun Plan 999 appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Smart offers 4th Gen iPad & iPad Mini with LTE

Louie Diangson Leave a comment

Smart Communications is now offering the 4th Gen iPad and the iPad Mini powered by Smart LTE starting at Plan 499.

ipadsmart1

The 4th Gen iPad and the iPad Mini are offered in three storage variants – 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. Plan 499 comes with 65 hours worth of 3G / 4G / Smart LTE usage monthly with a lock-in period of 24 months. Subscribers can pay Php499 a month on top of the one-time payment (see retail price) or opt to pay in 24 months amortization for the device.

ipadsmartprice1

If you’re wondering what’s the Prepaid price of the iPads (contract-free), here are the cash/straight payment prices from Smart:

iPad Mini 16GB LTE: Php22,402
iPad Mini 32GB LTE: Php27,723
iPad Mini 64GB LTE: Php32,991

iPad with Retina Display 16GB LTE: Php30,437
iPad with Retina Display 32GB LTE: Php34,853
iPad with Retina Display 64GB LTE: Php39,962

These prepaid units come with a free Smart LTE SIM.

For Plan 999, both iPads come with unlimited 3G / 4G / Smart LTE usage monthly with a lock-in period of 24 months. Subscribers can pay Php999 a month on top of a one-time payment (see retail price) for the device made in cash or using a credit card with option for a 12-month interest-free installment with participating credit cards.

{source}

The post Smart offers 4th Gen iPad & iPad Mini with LTE appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.

Smart vs Globe: Samsung Galaxy 4 Postpaid offering

Ronnie Bulaong Leave a comment

Now that two giant telcos in the country has announced the availability of the Samsung Galaxy S4, we thought of giving you a better look at Smart and Globe’s postpaid offerings to help you decide if ever you’re interested in getting one.

sgs4

Smart has pretty much kept the same pricing scheme that they have when they first offered the iPhone 5. The difference between the 16GB iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S4 in all of the available postpaid plans is just less than Php100. Here’s look at Smart’s Samsung Galaxy S4 Postpaid offering:

smart sgs4 philippines

Now let’s look Globe’s which has gone a bit creative with their proposition than Smart. Apart from offering the flagship handset on different postpaid plans, Globe has also added different lock-in periods which make it easier for potential customers to choose the duration of their subscription. Here’s a look at Globe’s SGS4 deals:

globesgs4

To give you a better comparison of the two telcos’ offerings, we picked three almost-identically-priced postpaid plans and placed them side-by-side to see which has the more affordable offer. Here’s what we got:

smart globe comparison

As we’ve mentioned on our “Ultimate iPhone 5 Postpaid Shopping Guide”, choosing the right postpaid plans for you really depends on your needs as a user.

“Smart offers generous free minutes and free SMS for a number of their plans where the total value is often times higher than the MSF itself. This helps you maximize your use of their network.

On the other hand, Globe offers consumable amounts as a percentage of the MSF. They also offer some freebies depending on the plan (more attractive as the plan goes up).

If you already know your average monthly consumption with call minutes and SMS, Smart’s plan will give you more mileage.

If you are unsure about your usage pattern, Globe’s consumable gives you that flexibility to reallocate credits to other services.”

From what we’ve gathered so far, it seems that Globe’s got the better of Smart in terms of its SGS4 pricing. But not only is Globe’s offers are more affordable, we also liked the introduction of various lock-in periods which we think a lot of subscribers will like. How about you guys? What do you of Globe and Smart’s Samsung Galaxy S4 postpaid plans offer?

The post Smart vs Globe: Samsung Galaxy 4 Postpaid offering appeared first on YugaTech | Philippines, Tech News & Reviews.