Service now available to post-paid subscribers

If the 3rd Generation or 3G technology will not be fully embraced by the target market, Smart Communications Inc. is willing to offer this feature in the mobile telephony for free.

Currently, Smart is offering the 3G technology to its post-paid subscribers for free. It means, that video calls, web browsing, television viewing in the cellular phone is still offered free of charge.

"We are trying to arrive at a point that customer experience and level of acceptance is already right," said Smart Communications public affairs head Ramon Isberto in an interview.

The 3G wireless communications technology will make possible high-speed data, voice, and video services. It promises greater bandwidth and higher transfer rates ranging from 384 kbps (kilobyte per second) to 2 Mbps (megabyte per second), a quantum leap from GSM technology maximum speed of 9.6 kbps. This speed also allows easier Internet browsing and the downloading of huge files.

The 3G, or as the name implies, follows the first generation (1G) and second generation (2G) in wireless communications. The 1G began in the late 1970's and lasted through the 1980s. These networks featured "cellular mobile radio telephone" that uses analog voice signaling.

The 1990s ushered in 2G, which features digital voice encoding. Since its inception, 2G has steadily improved, with increased bandwidth, packet routing, and the introduction of multimedia.

Today's mobile wireless communications is called 2.5G and encompasses mobile platforms including CDMA, TDMA, and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications).

According to Isberto, the initial target market, who are the A and B segments still have to fully embrace the technology, to the point that they will see the importance for its uses, by then, Smart will be able to introduce rate charge of 3G features.

Eventually, he said 3G charge rates would be made affordable to the masses.

He said 60 percent of the cities around the Philippines are already covered with 3G signal. The free access of 3G network provided by Smart has been on for two months now.

However, he stressed that there is no exact time frame when the company will decide to put on charges on this newest technology, "it will go on as pre-trial basis as of now."

Significant percentage of Smart's post paid subscribers are now starting to use the technology, one of the most common features being used is web browsing, and video calls.

He said there are now at least 100,000 Smart subscribers who own 3G capable phones. Smart has over 20 million subscribers including pre-paid users.

Initially, the 3G technology is targeted to the upper-end market, because of the high handset cost, but he is confident that over time this will be availed of by the mainstream consumers.

As of now, the lowest cost of a 3G capable phone is pegged between P11 thousand to P15 thousand, the price is expected to go lower price as more cellular phone manufacturers are producing 3G phones.