Smart network expands free Internet offer, extends to Jan 5

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The telecommunications war heats up further.

Hours after Globe’s announcement that its free Facebook offer will be rolled out anew starting Friday, October 3, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan announced that PLDT has expanded its free Internet service.

The PLDT network of Smart, Talk N’ Text, and Sun announced on September 26 that it is offering a limited time offer of free mobile Internet to its 66 million prepaid subscribers, with a 30 megabyte (MB) stipend a day, in a limited-time promo until November 30.

Pangilinan on October 3 upped the game of offering free Internet services via his Twitter announcement:

Even better – free internet now open to ALL prepaid, postpaid & broadband subs of Smart, TNT & Sun #SmartFREEInternet for ALL @SmartCares

— Manny V. Pangilinan (@iamMVP) October 3, 2014

The free service now covers the 72 million subscribers of the PLDT group, now including postpaid and broadband subscribers.

The offer has also been extended to January 5, 2015.

Subscribers can avail of the special offer and enjoy browsing through all their favorite websites and social media accounts using their data-enabled handsets, said Charles Lim, PLDT executive vice president and head for wireless consumer business at Smart.

Subscribers can also send and receive emails, use their favorite mobile apps, and shop online without incurring additional data charges, Lim added.

“This is our way of thanking our subscribers as well as a response to the requests of our postpaid and broadband subscribers to be included in the special offer. It is part of our overall strategy in accelerating mobile Internet adoption and usage in the country,” Lim said. 

TY for overwhelming response to #SmartFREEInternet. Our early Christmas gift to our loyal & new subs-offer now extended to Jan 5 @SmartCares

— Manny V. Pangilinan (@iamMVP) October 3, 2014

PLDT said all subscribers could also enjoy “unli,” “all-you-can” Facebook access – including sending messages via Facebook messenger and viewing of videos embedded in the social networking site.

Subscribers can also have all-day Wikipedia access on top of their daily 30 MB free data allocation.

The company’s extensive network infrastructure would be able to cope with the expected heavy volume of Internet usage from its subscriber base, PLDT and Smart technology head Roland Pena said.

“With millions of subscribers going online, our network has been performing very well, enabling them to sign-up for the service to take advantage of the free Internet offer,” Pena added.

On October 1, PLDT announced that it was eyeing the completion of its P544-million ($12.15 million*) expansion project in the first quarter of 2015.

This is the firm’s 18th expansion project since the transmission network was launched in 1997.

Part of the PLDT group’s P32-billion ($714.85 million) capital expenditure program for this year, the expansion project covers the installation of higher-capacity equipment to provide increased bandwidth and speeds for PLDT DSL subscribers, particularly in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and northern Mindanao regions. – Rappler.com

 *$1 = P44.76