Globe partnership prompts Shell to review no cellphone use policy

MANILA, Philippines — Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. is reviewing its no cellphone policy in gas stations with the advancement of technology and following its partnership with Globe Telecom Inc. to put up cell sites in its retail network.

Shell signed a partnership agreement with Globe to install new cell sites in a number of its gasoline stations. These stations will become Go WiFi hotspots where customers can enjoy better connectivity.  

Globe will invest $15 million per cell site under the partnership, which took a year in the making, its president and CEO Ernest Cu said in a briefing yesterday.

“This is part of Globe’s endeavor to widen the number of cell sites and reach it has. It’s a process toward densification of sites in urban areas. We’ve been working very closely with Shell to try to get this to fruition,” he said.

“Not everyone will fit the search ring Globe has but I’m sure majority of them (the stations), given how Shell selects its sites, it’s going to be in very strategic areas — street corners, well-traversed roads,” Cu said.

The two firms have identified 14 target sites, most of which are located along major thoroughfares and major areas of convergence across the country.

“We will see how the first 14 goes and then build on the learnings we will acquire, then we will progressively deploy this in more sites,” Shell president and CEO Cesar Romero said.

The partnership also paves the way for Shell to become the first petrol station to offer the scan-to-pay facility of GCash, Globe’s mobile money service provider.

Through this new payment option, customers can pay for Shell quality fuels and other items inside Select and the newly opened Deli Cafe via mobile wallet.

This add-on service also forms part of Shell’s Go Well advocacy, which aims to give customers the best experience before, during and after they refuel, with retail stations becoming a one-stop-shop for customers with the offering of premium fuels and lubricants, quality service from Shell forecourt service champions, delicious food and beverage at Shell Select, and well-maintained rest rooms.

As the new service will require the use of mobile phones, Romero said the oil firm is now in the process of renewing that policy in gas stations that require motorists to turn off their mobile phones.

“That policy is under review. we have some pilot stations in Europe that are doing that, and probably this is one of those things that hopefully our partners, Globe, will benefit from working with a company like us. We’re quite progressive in the thinking in how to implement this,” the Shell official said.

“Because of advancement of mobile phones, research is showing that the ignition risk is a little bit lower now. However, the risk we are seeing as we try to look at this, is the distraction risk when people use mobile phones,” he said.

Aside from its partnership with Globe, Shell said it continuously collaborates with the government and the private sector to promote smarter mobility and energy efficiency, while it also endeavours to provide innovative fuel and lubricants technology.