Array of best devices boosts Globe postpaid and mobile data business
10:05 PM
Vernon Joseph Go
Globe Telecom is eyeing further growth in its
postpaid and mobile data businesses by offering its subscribers an expanded
line-up of smartphone devices under its suite of unlimited data plans.
For
the second quarter of 2012 alone, Globe launched three flagship smartphones
from the world’s leading device manufacturers. In April, Globe exclusively
launched the Nokia Lumia 800, Nokia’s latest smartphone device that runs on the
Windows platform, featuring Internet Explorer 9, free voice-guided navigation
services, and free music and image storage. Globe subscribers can avail of the
Nokia Lumia 800 for free at Unli Surf Combo 1799 complete with unlimited mobile
surfing, P800 monthly consumable amount for calls and texts, and 3 text, call
and surf freebies that can be changed monthly.
In May, Globe became the
first Philippine telco to offer the BlackBerry Curve 9220 and BlackBerry Curve
9320, the two (2) new BlackBerry Curve smartphones available for the middle market
segment. The BlackBerry Curve 9220 is free at My Super Plan
499 plus a P99 unlimited BlackBerry Chat subscription which gives users P499
monthly consumable amount for calls and texts, unlimited access to BlackBerry
Messenger (BBM), and 2 text, call and surf freebies. The BlackBerry Curve 9320
comes free at My Super Plan BlackBerry Unli Surf Combo Plan 999 with unlimited surfing, P400 monthly consumable for
calls and texts, and 1 text, call or surf freebie.
Just this month, Globe unveiled the best and most
affordable offer for the Samsung Galaxy S III, where subscribers can get
Samsung’s newest flagship smartphone for as low as P1699 monthly under Unli
Surf Combo 999 with P700 monthly cashout, complete with unlimited data and 1 freebie.
Subscribers can also get the phone for free at Unli Surf Combo 1799 with P200
monthly cashout bundled with unlimited data, P800 monthly consumable amount for
calls and texts to any network, and three (3) text, call and surf freebies.
“With the continued rise in
smartphone and mobile data use in the Philippines, Globe is taking advantage of
this trend by offering a complete line-up of devices and handsets that cater to
the different market segments of our growing postpaid subscriber base,” said
Martha Sazon, Head of Globe Postpaid. “Our strong partnerships with the world’s
leading device manufacturers allow us to launch the latest smartphones ahead of
others and pair them with our fully-customizable plans bundled with unlimited
data, freebies, and excellent after-sales support that no other telco can
give.”
Globe offers the widest
selection of handsets under its roster of postpaid plans, offering the latest
Android devices for free for as low as Plan 299.
According
to Singapore-based research firm GfK Asia, the Philippines was noted as the
fastest-growing market in smartphones, with the value of smartphones sold
growing by 402% in the first quarter of 2012 versus 2011. Smartphone sales in
the Philippines
were valued at an estimated US$265 million in the first quarter of the year.
Globe
cemented its lead in the mobile postpaid segment in the first quarter of 2012
with a subscriber share of 43% and a 34% growth in subscriber base from
previous year’s levels. Postpaid service revenues are at P5.3B with revenue
share of 57%, way higher than the combined revenues of its two main
competitors. On the other hand, its mobile data revenues increased by 6%
year-on-year to P8.2 billion from P7.7 billion, now accounting for 49% of total
mobile service revenues. Direct mobile browsing revenues also increased by 33%
from previous year’s levels with the telco’s strong lineup of data plans.
Backing
up its robust portfolio of handsets and data plans is the Globe network which
is in the thick of a massive modernization program that will modernize
thousands of its cell sites across the country to cater to the emerging mobile
data traffic due to the growing number of smartphones. Globe will also be
rolling out 10,000 kilometers of fiber optic in the implementation of Long Term
Evolution (LTE) technology that will bring high-speed data to mobile phones and
other data terminals.
