Yesterday, PLDT and Intel held a joint event to present a partnership for the PLDT WiFi Zone and the Intel-powered ultrabooks. They didn’t really share anything concrete plans bewteen the two brands but it was an opporunity for me to ask a lingering question — can paid public WiFi still survive in this time of cheap mobile internet and free public WiFi?
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Red Mobile today announced it will expand/extend its unlimited call and text promo to the entire Smart network for only Php30/day.
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Looks like Smart is testing a new service under their SmartBro brand which offers WiFi service to customers. Called the SmartBro WiFi, prepaid users get a Smart Tag with username and password to access WiFi hotspots for just Php10 per 40 minutes.
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Last Tuesday, PLDT also launched their PLDT Call All bundle — a wireless landline extension where subscribers can call anywhere in the Philippines. This promo is available to existing PLDT residential landline subscribers for an additional fixed monthly charge of Php250.
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We were discussing about broadband connectivities over at Rico’s blog where he’s recommending ETPI’s 5Mbps package for Php35,000 a month. I haven’t tried Eastern Telecoms ever so I cannot attest to their connection uptime and reliability but have heard so many complaints about their residential offerings, dubbed evoDSL.
And while I suggested getting 2 separate DSL providers and using a D-Link Load-Balancing Router to hook them both up, I also discovered PLDT has published newer bandwidth caps for its residential plans.
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Just got my latest PLDT DSL Billing today and found several brochures for a couple of promos on myDSL. One of them is labeled “Exclusive Rewards for myDSL Subscribers” which gives free unlimited internet access in over 500 wifi hotspots nationwide (of course, via Airborne Access).
If you are on any of the myDSL Biz package of the residential myDSL Xcel plan, you automatically get the free WiFi. If you are in one of the lower residential packages (Xcite, Xperience, Xtra Value Plan), there’s a monthly additional fee of Php199 per month. However, between now and April 25, 2007, you can get that for a promo price of Php99 and it will be effective for 6 months after activation after which the price goes back to Php199.
Still, if it’s an additional Php199 to my monthly subscription and I always go out with my laptop a lot, this is really good promo. Looks like their previous Smart WiFly promo for Smart Bro subscribers had good results so they’re offering the same to PLDT DSL subscribers.
Here’s how you activate your WiFi access:
Step 1: Go to www.mypad.net and click on WiFi Registration link
Step 2: Register. You will need to provide the ff: PLDT account number, telephone number, name, and email where they’ll send you your access codes.
Step 3: That’s it! Use the access codes to log on to any of the Airborne Access hotspots nationwide.
Got this new PLDT promo at PEx:
Promo Period: January 23 to April 23, 2006
Coverage: Nationwide
Target Market: New Postpaid Residential Subscribers who will also subscribe to any myDSL package
Offers:
Discounted Installation Fee: P500
Free MSF on the 12th month
Pre-activated NDD access
Free Speed Calling 20
Free first 10 ndd unlimited calls (P10/call)
Optional: Free Activation of Megabundle + Free 1st 2 months MSF of Megabundle (subs must have a CID unit)
Discounted TEL.+ DSL Bundled Rate
1. P 750 + 999 = P 1,749 – 200 = P 1,549 MSF (net)
2. P 750 + 1,499 = P 2,745 – 400 = P 2,345 MSF (net)
3. P 750 + 3,000 = P 3,750 – 600 = P 3,150 MSF (net)
Guidelines:
Application may be filed thru Business Office, 171, CSFs** & all Bilis-Kabit Blitzes
24-month lock-in period (for both voice & data service)
Pre-termination fee of P2,500 (for voice) + 3X MSF for the DSL Plan
**For more details and to apply, contact:
Rene Bautista
PLDT Agent Code: 5003632
(02) 8740183 // (0927) 4567254 // (0918) 22312423
add616reneb@yahoo.com // add616reneb@gmail.com
Just saw an advertisement on TV (that Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino tandem again) about the new Smart call pricing at Php10 per 10 minutes. That’s basically php1 per minute of call time. I think it used to be Php8 plus toll charges.
This went out as PLDT came out with a regular rate of Php10 per call for all NDD (National Direct Dialing) connections, the same time that Smart is rabidly pushing for their 3iG services.
On top of that, the recent PLDT promo of Php840 fixed MSF for a bundled PLDT line and unlimited PLDT Vibe connection is also making waves — virtually pulling down unlimited dial-up costs for a recod low of Php160 per month.
This will surely eat away whatever market share those independent service providers have left. PLDT seems to be on a binge this year.
My PLDT myDSL line went kaput just around lunch today and was only able to re-connect just now. One thing I learned about PLDT’s customer support is that they don’t have one or you can’t get to talk to one. What I’d do is call sales and inquire about upgrading my DSL bandwidth or ask for any new promos. Then, I’ll segue into asking if they could connect me to their support personnel at the NOC. Works almost all the time.
Anyway, going back to the DSL upgrades, the customer rep did confirm that PLDT will be doing another round of bandwidth upgrades this January.
Those under Plan 1995 will get 768Kbps from the current 512Kbps. I forgot to ask about the alleged 2Mbps though.
[tags]PLDT, myDSL, PLDT DSL, PLDT myDSL[/tags]
Well, that’s a rather nice surprise!
By January 7, 2006, PLDT will be making their Php10 per call a permanent feature for all its landline subscribers. All you need to do now is activate this fetaure by calling 10-10-10 and paying an extra Php50 for your monthly subscription fee.
The Php10 per call covers all PLDT landline to PLDT landline NDD calls and PLDT landline to Smart mobile phones. I believe calls from Smart mobile phone sto PLDT landline phones will still use the same old rates though.
Like the previous promo, it does not also cover PLDT landline NDD dial-ups for ISPs. This means if you’re in Vigan and you want to dial up an ISP in Metro Manila, you can just call NDD for the same flat fee. PLDT adds that they’re also talking wiht other telcos for the same interconnection rates.
Now that’s the first good news I’ve heard this year.
Source: Manila Bulletin
[tags]pldt, landline, phone, promo, price drop, fixed line, long distance, ndd[/tags]
This is PLDT’s new dial-up promo for their PLDT Vibe subscribers:
Unlimited internet and PLDT phone line for Php840 ! (MSF and VAT included) Just call 10-10-10 to subscribe. Promo runs from January 1, 2006 to February 28, 2006.
You can also call 171 for details or visit www.mypad.net. If you’re an existing myDSL subscriber, you’re excluded and there’s the automatic cut-off every four (4) hours for system maintenance (crap).
My phone line costs around Php750 a month so the dial-up fee boils down to less than Php100. This could really kill all those competitors and resellers.
I was on my mobile phone with another potential client for about 15 minutes then I checked my load balance to see how much credit I still have left. I was a bit surprised to see that my last call didn’t even reach Php100.
Just now, I got an SMS alert from Smart that they have this Value Calls Promo where your call from a Smart cellphone to a PLDT landline will only be Php9 for the first 9 minutes and then it’s Php4 per succeeding minutes.
Looks like a bargain to me.
And good nes to those who’re always calling thru their cellphones.
Note: PLDT is the mother company of Smart Telecoms. This promo is for prepaid SIM card users only.
