Globe boosts Internet services for OFWs

Ayala-owned Globe Telecom and its wireline subsidiary Innove Communications have enhanced their Internet connectivity services with a low-cost broadband package specifically designed to help families of Filipino migrant workers achieve financial independence.

Called "Globe Negosyo", the project targets start-up businesses as well as budget conscious small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) owned by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) which are yet to fully embrace Internet technology.

With Globe Negosyo, small business customers such as sari-sari stores, bakeshops, kiosks retailers and others can take advantage of Globe’s broadband technology with a free PC and Globelines landline service for as low as P1,995 per month for a 384-kbps (kilobytes per second) connection or a one Mbps (megabyte per second) connection plus a desktop and landline for P2,495 a month.

"We’re giving our OFWs with existing businesses here an opportunity to augment their income by adding Globe Negosyo package to their businesses. With a very minimal investment, they will get a chance to earn more from payphone use, Internet use, and IDD and NDD calls," according to Ailene Averion, head of Globe’s marketing-SME business group.

In addition, Averion said OFWs who have yet to start their own business can easily tap Globe Negosyo with hardly any risk due to the very small capital involved.

"We hope that this way, we would be able to help OFWs and their families achieve financial freedom by investing in a safe, secure and risk-free business minus the huge costs associated with launching a new business venture," she added.

Aside from OFWs and their families, Globe Negosyo is also available to other operators of micro-businesses in the country.

Globe has been focusing on broadband to spur the growth of its wireline business. As of end-September 2006, net service revenues for the wireline group remained steady at P4.8 billion, similar to last year’s level. Traditional voice revenues were lower due principally to the impact of a stronger peso on its dollar-linked revenues.

However, the broadband segment continued to grow, registering 43,651 subscribers as of September, up 139 percent from a year earlier, while wireline data revenues posted six percent growth year-on-year.

Company officials said Innove is looking to broadband and corporate data to further boost growth in its wireline business.