Globe bares roaming services to Korea

Introducing another first, digital leader Globe Telecom has announced that it is now possible for subscribers of its Globe cellular phone service to make and receive calls in Korea as it recently pioneered international roaming services to the country.

Its roaming reach further enhanced by this development, Globe Handyphone today has by far the largest number of roaming destinations in the country with a worldwide roaming network of 123 operators around the world. Aside from being the Philippines' digital leader with the widest GSM (Global Systems for Mobile communications) nationwide, Globe Handyphone's extensive roaming reach worldwide makes it the country's No. 1 cellular service in terms of international roaming.

Prior to the introduction of Globe's roaming services to Korea, roaming between the Philippines and Korea was not possible because of the differences in cellular phone technologies used by the two countries. Globe Telecom for its Globe services uses GSM technology, while Korean cellular phone companies use CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology.

In offering International Roaming to Korea, Globe Telecom has linked its roaming network with Korean cellular phone company LG Telecom. Areas in Korea where Globe Handyphone users can roam through the network of LG Telecom include Seoul, Inchou, Kwangju, Puan, Puchon and Chona.

Korea-bound Globe subscribers using Globe Handyphone's International Roaming service for Korea will be issued a CDMA phone and a Korean roaming number for the duration of their trip. These handsets are available at a weekly rental at Globe Telecom's Pioneer Business Center. With the exception of countries such as Korea and Japan, Globe Handyphone users in other Globe roaming destinations abroad can use the same mobile telephone number to make and receive calls.

Through Globe Handyphone's International Roaming service, Globe Handyphone plan subscribers can go to any country abroad where Globe has International Roaming partners and use their Globe Handyphones there to send and receive their calls. This eliminates the user's need to use other countries' cellular phones or other phone systems while abroad and results in less expenses for travelers than availing of hotel IDD rates while abroad.

As part of the convenience of the International Roaming service to Globe subscribers, roamers can conveniently settle their bills when they get home in pesos for the calls they made abroad.

In addition, with Globe Handyphone's newly imposed lowest rates for IDD calls, calls from the Philippines made to Globe roamers abroad would translate to more affordable charges than regular calls made through landline or other cell phones' IDD links. Incoming calls received by roamers are charged Globe's low IDD rates of $0.70 per minute for peak hours and $0.50 for off-peak hours. Outgoing calls by roamers, meanwhile, are charged against corresponding call rates of foreign operators.