GlobeTelecom to launch: 3G technology in RP

The Philippine telecommunication industry's most awaited technology will be finally made available in the market as Globe Telecom, Inc. gets ready to launch 3G (third generation) technology in the country soon, as it began to roll out its network in central business districts of several cities like Cebu.

Already, the Philippine market was able to get a glimpse of Globe's 3G services in continuing demos in public places, like malls, bars and some of the Globe's business centers in Metro Manila. These built on the first live public 3G demos that Globe conducted last year in both Metro Manila and Cebu.

According to Globe, beyond the demos, some of Globe's corporate customers are already currently making use of the next generation 3G services on a trial basis. Upon launch, Globe postpaid customers will be able to sign up to use 3G as well, to be followed soon after by Globe prepaid customers.

Globe now joins SingTel Mobile of Singapore, CSL of Hong Kong, Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia, Optus Mobile of Australia and Taiwan Mobile, all members of the Bridge Mobile Alliance, in offering 3G services to customers in the Asia-Pacific region.

Among the services that Globe will offer initially are video calls and high speed Internet browsing, downloading and streaming. These services are presently being tried out by the top executives of Ayala Land Inc., General Milling Corp., Sun Life of Canada, PruLife UK, 3M Philippines and the Aboitiz Group of Companies, as part of the company's 3G testing efforts before Globe's 3G services break ground.

"We are proud to bring another technological advancement to the Philippines and we are truly excited to launch [the new] Globe's 3G soon. We have gone through extensive preparations on various fronts - regulatory, technical and applications, to make sure that the initial 3G experience for the Filipino consumer would be remarkable and greatly satisfying," said Globe Consumer Business Head Ferdinand M. Dela Cruz.

"This is what we want to achieve as we take the country to the next generation of mobile technology, to bring Filipinos and their families closer together, to enable new heights of productivity and connectivity crucial to businesses, and to provide richer multimedia experience to customers," Dela Cruz added.

Globe's 3G network will cover almost all of the key cities and municipalities of the country over the next 3-5 years. Globe will also deliver superior 3G roaming coverage internationally, leveraging its long-standing international roaming leadership. In fact, with the Bridge Mobile Alliance, Globe already made 3G roaming available to its subscribers since July last year.

Globe has already made headway in providing global 3G services to Filipinos and their relatives overseas, through its ties with the leading mobile carriers in Asia-Pacific, under the Bridge Mobile Alliance. As an early Christmas gift in December 2005, Globe made possible a reunion between Delia Bautista, a Filipino OFW working in Singapore, and her family here in the Philippines she has not seen in 8 years. In a video call made through Globe's partnership with SingTel, she was able to talk to and see not just her sister, Lourdes, and brother, Danny, but also her 4-year old niece Daisy for the first time. This coming February 12, 2006, Globe and SingTel once again join forces to strengthen Filipino relationships by giving OFW families the chance to see and hear their loved ones in Singapore by offering free Video IDD calls.

Globe intends to make 3G services widely available in the Philippines, in the same way that it has pioneered GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) and SMS (short messaging service) and introduced MMS (multimedia messaging service), which are being enjoyed by all subscribers until today.

"With the Philippines recognized in the international community as an innovator in the mobile industry, and Globe Telecom trusted by Filipinos as the first name in mobile innovation, our leadership in 3G is no surprise and is in fact an eagerly awaited development of our customers," Dela Cruz added.

"With full backing by our fellow member operators of the Bridge Mobile Alliance, Globe was able to demonstrate the first 3G video calls in the Philippines, and the first live public demonstrations of 3G. Our 3G-network rollout is already under way and we are readying an extensive suite of Filipino-relevant 3G services and testing them with our continuing demos and trials. Globe will continue to demonstrate in our 3G launch that we continue to be the innovation leader in mobile communications," he concluded.