"We believe everyone should have easy access to the landline," according to Henry Abes, general manager of SubicTel. "While many already have cellphones, a landline is still a very useful gadget to have."
Called the TelePwede! phone, it is similar to PLDT’s prepaid landline offering where a Pwede! card is used.
All users have to do is link a Pwede! card to a prepaid landline so that a subscriber will have a TelePwede! phone. The TelePwede! phone must be loaded with a non-consumable P115 every month as activation fee so that a subscriber will be able to receive calls. For outgoing calls and Internet access, a TelePwede! subscriber must have additional load on top of the P115 maintenance fee.
"It is very convenient, easy to use and affordable. Potential clients now have the choice of getting a prepaid line that he or she can load with credits to receive and make calls. They can even use the phone to access the Internet," Abes emphasized.
The Pwede! card is a reloadable prepaid card with an 11-digit account number similar to that of a cell phone number.
Abes explained that reloading the Pwede! card would be as easy as reloading a Smart or Talk ‘N Text prepaid cellphone through Smart’s extensive network of some 800,000 e-load retailers all over the country.
These landlines carry attractive rates. Local calls will only be changed P2 per call unlimited and not the usual per minute rate from any PLDT prepaid landline to another landline. Calls to cellphones will cost only P6.50 per minute.
National direct dial or NDD calls will only be for P5 per minute, and Internet access will only cost P5 per hour.
For International direct dial or IDD calls to 100 countries, TelePwede! phone users can enjoy an affordable rate of only P8 per minute.
"We are expanding our market through this service. While we have small and medium enterprises and big company locators in the freeport zone, we also want to offer something for the lower-income segment to complete our portfolio and be of service to more people," Abes said.
As part of its efforts to broaden its portfolio of services, SubicTel recently started reselling Smart Bro, the wireless broadband service of sister company Smart Communications Inc.