Globe, HK cellphone firm tie up to serve OFWs

Globe Telecom has tied up with Hong Kong mobile company CSL to provide affordable IDD rates and other innovative mobile services to Filipinos working in Hong Kong.

The two companies have introduced the CSL-Kumusta Ka Kababayan SIM as Globe and CSL’s co-branded prepaid SIM card in Hong Kong that offers special rates for calls to Globe and Touch Mobile (TM) subscribers in the Philippines.

This special SIM has the most affordable IDD rates for calls placed to Globe and TM at HK$0.70 per minute during weekends and HK$0.95 per minute on weekdays, lower by 25 percent than the rates offered by other cellular providers in Hong Kong.

 International SMS rates are HK$0.50 per text on Sundays and HK$1 per text from Mondays to Saturdays for text messages sent to all Globe Handyphone and TM subscribers.

On top of these special rates, the co-branded SIM card allows OFWs in Hong Kong to send load credits to their families and friends in the Philippines through Globe’s International Share-a-Load service, as well as remittances through G-Cash Pera to Pamilya. Transferring funds and prepaid credits works as simple as sending a text message.

"We want to be able to make our services available to every Filipino from all over the world. We continue to find ways by which we can provide them with the best rates in the market so they will always be connected to their loved ones back home. Globe is the cellular network that attends to the needs of the OFWs," Globe consumer business head Ferdinand dela Cruz said. 

For his part, Globe chief operating advisor Andrew Buay said: "We are also extremely pleased to have launched our cross-border G-Cash offering with CSL. This represents Globe’s first direct overseas mobile operator deployment where mobile subscribers can now use their CSL SIMs to more closely manage and take more direct control of their peso-denominated remittances and other G-Cash transactions sent periodically from Hong Kong to their loved ones or participating G-Cash merchant partners in the Philippines."

Globe and CSL are members of the Bridge Mobile Alliance, the biggest alliance of telecommunications companies in the Asia-Pacific.