Sunday, July 26, 2009

062309: Smart Communications unveils 'unlimited-call' service

Companies
Written by Lenie Lectura / Reporter   
Tuesday, 23 June 2009 23:17

SMART Communications Inc. continues to find ways to make mobile phone call rates more affordable as it launches today its newest unlimited calling service for all of its 38 million subscribers.

The country’s largest cellular firm is set to unveil today its newest promo offering. “Get the real deal about unlimited. Join us on Smarttalk,” read the cellular firm’s invite.

Sources yesterday said Smart will charge P500 for a month of unlimited calling service within the network. The promo will be open to Smart and Piltel’s ‘Talk ‘N Txt’ (TNT) subscribers whether their subscription is on postpaid or prepaid account.

“This is the real unlimited offering because it lasts for a month. No other cellular operator is doing this,” said a source.

The new service will initially be offered on a promotional basis. Normally, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) approves a promo offering for a trial period of 30 days. Should the network operator seek to extend the implementation, an application for an extension should be filed before the agency.

Smart currently offers Call All Night promo for P15, a service open from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. “Smart is making sure that the varying needs of the consumers are provided for. We are giving them so many reasons to ramp up their usage and encourage non-Smart subscribers to switch to us,” said another source.

The cellular firm also offers various SMS (short messaging service) promos. Basic SMS continues to drive the company’s data services, which comprise about 55 percent of the total cellular service revenues which grew by 8 percent to P93.6 billion in 2008.

Smart and TNT subscriber base exceed 35 million at the end of 2008. The total net adds for the year reached 5.2 million, higher than the PLDT group’s guidance of four to five million. Of the total net adds, 4.6 million were TNT subscribers. This brought the total TNT subscriber base to 14.3 million, making it the No. 2 brand in the country behind Smart with 20.9 million subscribers.

“Our subscriber base continues to reach new heights, having hit 38 million subscribers in May,” said PLDT and Smart president Napoleon Nazareno.

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