Globe, the first name in mobile innovation, is off to an undisputed headstart in the local third-generation (3G) technology market with the introduction of HSDPA, also known as "3.5G" or "Super 3G," a technology which increases download speeds of 3G networks.
As early as 2005, Globe procured the first 3G trial permit from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), conducted the first successful 3G video call in the country, and gave the first live 3G service demonstrations to the general public.
Globe also pioneered "3.5G" with the first HSDPA test call in the Philippines and the first live public demonstration during the 2005 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games held in Manila.
Top companies tested Globe’s 3G services last January, including Ayala Land, General Milling Corp., Sun Life of Canada, Pru Life UK, and the Aboitiz Group of Companies.
Now, both prepaid and postpaid Globe subscribers can experience 3G services like video calling, Globe Video IDD, 3G streaming, and high-speed Internet browsing in 3G covered areas at very affordable 2G rates.
"We are proud that a Filipino company is the first in the Asia-Pacific region to bring this promising technology to actual customers," says Globe president and CEO Gerardo Ablaza Jr. "We are proud to bring 3G with HSDPA to all our Globe prepaid and postpaid subscribers. And all these are at the same pricing as regular 2G."
Video IDD calls can be enjoyed at regular voice IDD rates of $0.40 per minute now in 20 countries. Both prepaid and postpaid subscribers can now talk to and see loved ones in Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, France, Australia, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Greece, Ireland, and Norway. The list of countries is continuously expanding so that more and more countries can be connected via Globe Video IDD.
In addition, outbound 3G-to-3G roaming for traveling Globe subscribers is available in 11 countries: Hong Kong (CSL), Singapore (SingTel), Hungary (Pannon), Netherlands (T-Mobile), Denmark (TDC), Luxembourg (Voxmobile), Austria (Mobilkom), Israel (Celcom), Malaysia (Maxis), Taiwan (Taiwan Mobile), and Switzerland (Sunrise) at regular charges plus 15 percent administration charges.
Local Globe-to-Globe video calls will be charged at regular local voice call rates. Video calling allows callers to see and hear each other while video sharing enables two mobile users to both watch the video that one party is taking from his 3G phone.
Free live streaming of programs and content from CNN, ABS-CBN and GMA is now available on the Globe Mobile Broadband 3G portal so subscribers can watch their favorite TV shows on their mobile phones anytime, anywhere. Other archived video streaming programs are also available.
Regular video streaming is very affordable as only 2G rates are charged. Most two- to three-minute clips will just cost Globe 3G subscribers P10 to P15. This simplified pricing eliminates the need for daily subscription charges or complex per view charges and streaming fees.
With the wide array of programs, subscribers can be updated on-the-go with the latest news and current affairs shows with CNN, Inside and Probe (ABS-CBN), News Central (Studio 23), The World Tonight, Strictly Politics, ANC Money and Straight Talk (ANC) as well as news from the Associated Press.
Globe users can get exclusive backstage access to the latest entertainment programs when streaming Startalk and Bubble Gang and behind-the-scenes Pinoy Big Brother videos, the latest sports with Game Plan and the funniest stand-up comedy with Adam Sandler and Rex Navarette on their mobile phones.
Internet browsing on 3G phones or HSDPA PC datacards via Globe Mobile Broadband will also be charged at 2G browsing rates of P0.15 per kilobyte. Affordable high-usage datacard plans will also be made available soon.
"Network quality leadership is and has always been Globe Telecom’s trademark. We have been recognized for this by not only third parties but more importantly by our subscribers," says Patricio Pineda III, head for wireless business planning and program director for Globe Mobile Broadband 3G with HSDPA. "Our goal is for 3G subscribers to consistently enjoy rich and satisfying 3G services like video calls, video and other rich media streaming and high-speed Internet browsing. And of course, regular voice calls and SMS (Short Messaging Service) or text messaging will continue to work as before."
Ablaza affirms that this is just the beginning. "We expect to see an ever evolving consumer proposition for 3G over the next three to five years," he says.
"It’s tough work because this is a new business model," Pineda concedes. "We are working and negotiating with several content providers. We are looking to grow a full suite of affordable and relevant programs starting with local and international news, sports, music, maybe even telenovelas."
Its predecessor, the second-generation (2G) technology, which cellular mobile telephone service providers still use today, is 10 to 12 years old. Globe expects 3G to have a similar lifespan.
Initially, Globe allocated $100 million for its 3G network capital expenditure with a major portion to be spent this year. Further investments will "depend on the subscriber take-up," Ablaza says.
"We can expand only according to demand. We don’t have to be as aggressive as we had been during our 2G rollout. Even at the height of our 2G expansion, we spent $200-300 million per year," he says.
Globe Telecom has the largest number of cell sites among all Philippine mobile operators – it operates close to 4,700 cell sites nationwide, covering close to 100 percent of the Philippine population.
"In fact, some of our corporate customers already signed up with Globe back in early April, and are in fact the first live HSDPA customers in the Asia Pacific region," says Ablaza.
Customer feedback has played a key role in shaping the service line-up as well as the quality and pricing benchmarks for Globe’s Mobile Broadband offering.
"Both prepaid and postpaid customers who participated in our trials gave us high marks for the quality of our 3G services. They have set the bar for Globe Mobile Broadband 3G with HSDPA. The whole Globe Telecom organization is committed to deliver against this bar," Pineda says.
For example, OFW families have benefited from Globe Video IDD service, especially when it was made available at 2G rates.
Joy Franco, a Globe prepaid subscriber, was able to see and talk to her husband in Singapore through Video IDD. Of course, their two kids joined in the virtual family reunion. Prior to Globe Video IDD, the Franco family usually just communicated by e-mailing pictures so that Papa could see how the children have grown.
"But this is better than pictures," Mrs. Franco says, "iba talaga ang nakikita mo na (It’s really different if you can see him live)!"
"What’s great about it is that you can actually share special moments with your loved ones," says celebrity Donita Rose, another Globe Video IDD user and fan. Since her husband is based in Singapore, she would just call or send him text messages of news from Manila. "But describing the news is just not the same," she exclaims.
Corporate and business users are impressed with Globe Mobile Broadband 3G with HSDPA. "Globe’s 3G video calling, audio/video streaming and high-speed Web browsing proved to be very useful in both personal and business settings," observes Allen Bacallan, General Milling Corp. (GMC) director for management information systems. For example, GMC’s field personnel use Globe’s video call and video sharing services to conduct trade checks in supermarkets.
Overall, Globe Mobile Broadband 3G with HSDPA gives full mobility and enriches connections at affordable rates to prepaid and postpaid subscribers nationwide.
"The cost of handsets will eventually go down," Ablaza predicts. "Based on experience, prices of cellular phones go down after they are introduced in the market. The efficiency of the technology will eventually bring down the cost of telecom services."
Globe expects 3G services to be a big hit in the country when the network is fully built up next year. An informal poll at the Globe Telecom website shows that 67 percent of those who participated in the online survey believe that 3G will be useful to them and see themselves upgrading to the service soon.
Globe expects that high-data users will be the first to use 3G services but the mass market mobile users will follow on their heels.
Mobile television also comes in the wake of 3G. The service, predicted to be the next big thing in the market, will be commercially available in the Asia-Pacific during the third quarter of this year. By 2008, as many as 20 TV channels will be available for mobile phone users.
But whether Filipinos will get hooked on watching the news, their favorite TV soap operas and programs on their mobile phones will depend on whether broadcasters and mobile operators can forge partnerships to pull it off.
As it is, the programs of available mobile TV will be limited. "The size of the mobile phone screen also limits us," Pineda says. "It may not be practical to offer 40 channels. Users won’t scroll all the way down. And there’s the question of whether the mobile phone will totally replace TV viewing. We believe that ‘snacking’ or mobile TV viewing in small chunks will probably be the prevalent behavior."
"For Mobile TV to become a mass market service, there are many complexities and moving parts that will have to be managed, not only by mobile operators like Globe but also the content owners and even TV broadcasters. In addition, the industry will need to manage device issues such as cost, battery life and unit size. Then we will have to manage and customize people’s viewing experience as well as the service costs," Pineda adds.
With broadband speeds of up to 1.8 megabits per second (Mbps), HSDPA is 25 times faster than a dial-up connection, five times faster than basic digital subscriber line (DSL) and at least three times faster than the 3G networks currently being deployed in the country. Globe subscribers can access and download or upload data, wireless audio and video services at faster speeds wherever they are.
Ablaza stresses that HSDPA technology lays the groundwork for the network of the future. "We anticipate that subscribers will demand greater functionality from 3G as the service becomes more pervasive and accessible," he says.
The future, he says, lies in flexible choices provided by this latest innovation.
"At the same time, the applications available on personal computers are increasingly being adapted to mobile phones, so the flexibility and convenience provided by HSDPA are definitely relevant to the Philippine market," he adds.
Globe is among the less than 20 mobile operators in the world to have introduced HSDPA technology services. Other telcos in the Asia-Pacific region are also looking into following Globe’s lead with Japan’s NTT DoCoMo and Hong Kong’s CSL and Sunday as the front-runners. Apart from Cingular Wireless in the US and Wataniya Telecom in Kuwait, most HSDPA networks that are already in service are located in Europe. At least 70 other mobile providers worldwide are in the testing or deployment stages, proving the global impact of this revolutionary technology.
Furthermore, Globe’s technical team has been actively exchanging notes on the issues and opportunities toward a seamless 3G network rollout with established 3G carriers abroad. The company draws from the pool of 3G technical know-how from fellow members of the Bridge Mobile Alliance (BMA). Members of the BMA – Singapore Telecom, CSL Hong Kong, Maxis Malaysia, Optus Australia and Taiwan Mobile – have commercially launched 3G in their respective countries.
Throughout the years, Globe has been acknowledged as the first name in Philippine mobile innovation displaying leadership in technological advancements in telecoms in areas like Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and Short Messaging Service (SMS). It has also pioneered innovative services such as Share-A-Load and G-Cash mobile wallet, and now Globe Mobile Broadband 3G with HSDPA.
As the cellular phone becomes more of an extension of the PC and users demand faster and better data services, Globe Telecom is proactively taking the next steps to drive innovation leadership in Philippine mobile communications.