Don't write off the landline yet

MANILA, Philippines –  March 10, 1876 was a momentous occasion in the history of telecommunications. On this day, inventor Alexander Graham Bell transmitted the sentence “Mr. Watson, come here! I want to see you!” using a liquid transmitter and an electromagnetic receiver. This date marked the first successful telephone conversation, what would prove to be the birth of modern telecommunication.

From then on, the advancements in the technology seemed only to improve. If we fast forward to the present, it is easily noticeable how the telephone has become a normal fixture in everyday life. But our devices are a far cry from the invention of Mr. Bell. We pretty much carry mini computers, capable of doing a handful of tasks all at once, in our pockets. We are able to stay in touch with people through the innovations offered to us by service providers, and the world has grown even smaller now with the Internet.

The focus of modern telecommunication has moved towards cellular technology and being connected while “on the go.” The rate at which people move nowadays is the fastest it’s ever been in history, and they need the necessary devices to keep up with the frenetic pace. Because of this the home telephone, or landline, has been forced to take an obvious back seat.

This year, however, marks a milestone for telecommunications; specifically for the almost forgotten landline. December 13, 2010 can be added as an important date on the timeline of modern telecommunication as the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) launched the TelPad, a package that is sure to shake up the market and breathe new life into an overlooked, yet very important, member of the telecommunication family.

Stay connected with the PLDT TelPad, through landline calls, video conferencing, or through the provided high speed DSL connection in the bundled package.

The PLDT TelPad is an innovative package that bundles a landline service with a touch-screen tablet computer and high speed DSL Internet, all under one service plan. It’s like a landline on steroids. A world first, the TelPad is exclusively launched in the Philippines. “We are reshaping the future of the landline and we are starting to bring it to the market now,” says PLDT president and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno. “We are proud that the PLDT TelPad was conceptualized and developed here in the Philippines using world-class technology.”

The PLDT TelPad tablet is powered by a 1Ghz Cortex A8 processor that enables the device to deliver snappy performance. It runs on Android’s latest operating system version 2.2, which offers genuine multi-tasking capabilities. Users of TelPad can download a wide range of applications from the Android Market, Google’s online store which offers over 125,000 applications like business apps, e-books and magazines and digital games. Storage won’t be a problem as the unit’s 2GB internal capacity can be augmented by an SD card and USB slot for extended storage. The TelPad also carries a 2-megapixel front camera for still shots and videoconference calls.

“We’ve packed the PLDT TelPad with features that will dramatically change how we use landlines,” says PLDT senior vice president Eric R. Alberto, adding that the Philippine market, with its growing number of ‘netizens’, is ready for an innovative service such as the PLDT Telpad. “We expect TelPad will be very well received and will create a new market of adopters to this new and exciting service. We are bringing back relevance to and expanding the value proposition of the landline in the home,” he adds.

The PLDT TelPad is taking the next step in re-creating the image of the landline as a lifestyle fixture. Aside from being a place for communication, it is also a tool for entertainment with the many downloadable apps as well as an HDMI port that can be plugged into any flat screen television. “We have reinvented the landline to take on the emerging digital lifestyle and the growing consumer appetite for rich multi-media content”, says Dan Ibarra PLDT Group Head of Retail Business.

“The intuitive design allows subscribers to access information, entertainment and lifestyle apps easily with simple touch of the screen. Aside from Android based applications such as e-readers, news widgets and games, there are other apps being developed for a more enjoyable PLDT TelPad experience,” Ibarra adds.

And it makes phone calls, too. Without being dependent on cell sites and signal bars, expect the clearest local and international conversations. With all of this new stuff that the TelPad can do, one might actually forget that at the very heart of it, it’s still a telephone.

This is the future of the landline.

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For more information about the Telpad and how to avail of PLDT’s bundled packages, visit dt.com.ph” www.pldt.com.ph.

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E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@gmail.com.