Bringing Net connection to the masses

MANILA, Philippines - There was a time when the Internet experience-for-all was an idea so remote that those belonging to the C, D, and E crowd can only surmise it was a myth.

Before, Internet access could only readily be enjoyed by anyone who had a desktop personal computer or laptop and could easily pay for an Internet service provider, given its rather pricey monthly subscription plans.

But there was no way to stop the Internet from conquering the whole world. Eventually, the low-end market was bitten by the cyberspace bug and discovered the wonders of accessing what’s new all over the world with just a click of the mouse.

In the Philippines, for instance, Internet shops grew a massive fold to cater to the increasing need of the low-end market to connect to the world. Soon, just about anyone had an e-mail address or knew how to chat.

Now, the Internet experience is making its presence felt more than ever, thanks to mobile phones. With the proliferation of smartphones  mobile phones that go beyond sending texting messages or making phone calls  everyone can easily go online anytime, anywhere.

Today, a growing number of people in the Philippines and abroad are favoring their handsets than their desktop PCs and laptops when it comes to surfing and social networking. In the United States, for example, mobile Internet usage grew 110 percent last year, according to the leading technology site Techcrunch, with applications fueling much of the growth.

In the Philippines, the combination of smartphones pre-loaded with apps and packaged data plans from telecom operators is driving the trend.

“I think Filipinos now recognize that it is much easier and more affordable to connect to the Internet via data plans using their phones,” says Benoit Nalin, Nokia Philippines’ general manager.

“The level of maturity among telecom operators here is unseen in other parts of the world. It is only here that both the handset maker and the telecom operator work together to bring about an optimized Internet experience for the smartphone user,” Nalin says.

It is this cooperation that enables Nokia to offer a range of devices aimed at different segments of the market, to meet the growing user demand for Internet connection on the go. Nokia sets its sights in the Philippines, in particular, which continues to lead the Southeast Asian market for being top mobile Internet users.

According to mobile technology experts, Filipinos are becoming a driving force in the mobile Internet trend. It is estimated that mobile Internet usage in the Philippines is expected to grow 8.8 million in 2010 to 12 million this year, as the Internet becomes more accessible even to those in the lower end of the social class  those who cannot afford a PC or a laptop  thanks to the proliferation of affordable smartphones like those from Nokia.

In the next couple of years, experts foresee a shift from traditional access to personal access through the mobile phone; a new wave of users who will be accessing the Internet for the first time. And their first experience will not be on a desktop but rather through a mobile phone.

Consequently, Nokia is looking at answering this growing trend by introducing more Internet-cable, affordably priced smartphones. Its low-end smartphone comes loaded with premium applications but in a price that students on a budget can afford.

The Nokia X2-01, for example, is a full-QWERTY messaging phone that can support e-mail, instant messaging, Internet browsing, Facebook and Twitter.

The Nokia C2-01 model, on the other hand, offers 3G connectivity along with a 3.2-megapixel camera, e-mail, social networking, Internet browsing, and instant messaging. Both phones are priced below P5,000.

Coupled with a data plan, students, families with members working or living abroad and even start-up entrepreneurs can enjoy push e-mail and instant Facebook or Twitter notifications through their phones for as low as P10 per 30 minutes.

In fact, smartphone users now have a wide range of data plan options to choose from. One can avail himself of a postpaid unlimited data plan for only P649 a month, and if you’re a Nokia user, this comes with push e-mail, instant messaging and unlimited application/content download from the Ovi Store.

Even prepaid users can enjoy unlimited data plans. As with post-paid plans, prepaid subscribers can enjoy push e-mail, chat and Facebook or Twitter notifications for only P50 a day.

Just imagine: if you’re a small business owner, you can respond to e-mail inquiries or orders without a swanky business phone or an expensive data plan. Or if you have a family member in the Middle East, you can communicate and know his status instantly via Yahoo! Instant Messenger, Twitter or Facebook, all thanks to the power of the Internet that you can now access through a device that’s no bigger than your hand.

With mobile phones leading the way, the Internet experience will continue to take over people’s lives no matter where they are, making connecting to the world easier and more convenient.