Text-based applications to fuel growth of RP’s cellphone market

Singapore – Short messaging services (SMS)-based content and applications will continue to drive the growth of the cellular phone market in the Philippines and the rest of the region, industry analysts said.

They said mobile content, applications and e-commerce are expected to further drive wireless data adoption in the country, allowing local cellular operators to continue to outmaneuver each other by offering innovative SMS or text-based content and services.

Some of these services are location-based services, greeting cards, message icons and logos, ringtones, games, horoscopes, other entertainment information, traffic, weather and stock market updates, international text messaging and email, mobile banking, movies/events, reservations, mobile vending and landline texting.

From 1997 to 2002, the total number of mobile phone subscribers in the Philippines went up from only 1.3 million to 15.5 million. The Philippines is reportedly the world leader in the cellular phone market for SMS with Globe Telecom and Smart Communications handling more than 200 million text messages in a day.

Industry giants in the telecom infrastructure industry led by Ericsson said here that some of the best prospects in the telecom market today include alternative modes of data transmission and Internet access using wireless technologies such as triple play (merger of voice, video and data) and mobile broadband connection.

For his part, Trade and Industry Secretary Juan Santos has said that the expansion of Internet-enabled services, the convergence of media, and the emergence of new technology-based products will further fuel the shift from narrowband to broadband requirements.

"In light of these opportunities, our local companies can partner with foreign suppliers in developing a technical support site in the country. We also urge foreign investors to venture into telecom infrastructure projects in the country," Santos said.

Related to this, 10 leading local wireless providers led the Philippine business delegation in CommunicAsia, Singapore’s biggest information and communication technology (ICT) fair in a bid to pursue new opportunities in the global telecommunications market.

This year’s participants include AHD Advance Communication System Inc., Chikka Asia Inc., Cube Interactive, Globe Telecom, Globequest/Innove Communications, Icon Interactive Inc., PLDT, Smart Communications Inc., Tin Can Mobile Solutions Corp., and Veritas System Solutions Inc.