Telco makes web access cheap with data sachets

Realizing its “dream” of providing internet-for-all to Filipinos, Smart Communications is moving towards offering data service or mobile internet access down to the mainstream through an application that will allow ordinary pre-paid subscribers to browse the internet for as low as P5.

Smart Communications president and chief executive officer (CEO) Napoleon L. Nazareno said today’s demand for data services will not only be accessible to those who can well “afford” to pay, but making it accessible ultimately to every Filipino.

This means, that mobile internet will be made much affordable, while smartphones’ prices are also going down.

“We need to make data services more affordable to more Filipinos. We are turning to the use of sachets—this time data sachets. We have introduced a new smartphone application that we call PowerApp. This app makes it possible to access relevant services in the Internet in small, affordable packs costing as low as five pesos,” said Nazareno.

He said Smart hopes to bring innovative approaches to benefit the larger Filipino market, wherein data service will not only be a product accessible to a few, but ultimately to every Filipino.

“Our engineers at PLDT, Smart and Sun Cellular are expanding the digital highways through which the Internet travels,” he said.

This year, the telecom group is extending its fiber optic transmission system to 100,000 kilometers while also expanding its international submarine cable systems.

“We are rolling out our 3G service to cover 100 percent of our cellular network and increasing the footprint out our LTE network as well. In short, we are building the data networks that will be able to reach into virtually every corner of the country,” Nazareno said in his recent visit to Cebu.

The PLDT group, he said has continued to progress in “bridging the divide”. “If before, we dreamed of putting a cell phone in the hands of every Filipino, today we dream of ‘Internet-for-all.”

Today, he said only 35 percent to 40 percent of Filipinos have access to the Internet. Thus, “Digital Divide” is still there although cellular penetration is almost on its saturation point.

“We do have a digital divide — between those who can access the worldwide web and those who cannot. This is not just about doing ‘selfies’ and putting them on Facebook,” Nazareno stressed.

He said studies showed that Internet access raises economic growth and improves people’s lives. “So we need to bridge the ‘Digital Divide’ if we are to promote inclusive growth that improves the welfare of the poorest of our countrymen.”

With this, he said access to the Internet is no longer a “luxury” service, but it becomes part of everyone’s important needs.

“We are now well into the 21st century. It is the digital age. More than half of our populations are digital natives. There were born and grew up with the computer and the internet,” he said.

Today, young and old, Filipinos take naturally to the internet and social media, he added taking into consideration that about 95 percent of Filipinos go online to use Facebook.