Philippines

PLDT’s fibre-optic network expansion completed (Philippines)

On 03.03.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The second phase of fibre- -optic network expansion programme has been completed by Philippine Long Distance Telephone along with the activation of an additional 320 Gbps across six network loops nationwide.

The operating capacity of PLDT’s DFON has been increased to more than 1,000 Gbps after this expansion project at a total cost of about PHP 600 million. PHP 2.6 billion DFON network fortification programme has also been started by PLDT through establishment of loops within the loops to enhance network resiliency.

1,220 km third fibre-optic cable of PLDT running between Lucena and Cebu is expected to be completed by the middle of this year.

Globe Telecom to invest USD500m in 2010 (Philippines)

On 03.03.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: USD500 million has been set aside by Filipino telecoms group Globe Telecom for capital expenditure projects in 2010. A large portion of the amount will also be allocated for its escalating broadband business.

Expansion and augmentation of its high speed internet access networks and services will receive an investment of USD230 million, which will also include the expansion of coverage of DSL, WiMAX and 3G mobile broadband services. Mobile telephony business has received USD170 million while Globe’s fixed line data networks which cater in the main for corporate users has got USD50 million.

Globe’s number of base transceiver stations was boosted by its expansion work by 22% year-on-year to 10,333. The cell-site deployments of the firm were up 7% to 6,226 to support its 2G, 3G and WiMAX services and at the same date its networks reached 99% of the population and 97% of the territory.

Tagged with: 2G • 3G • ASIA • Globe Telecom • Philippines • WiMAX

NTC allows Philippines’ 3G operators to bid for last license

On 02.23.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Three major 3G licensees- Smart Communications, Globe Telecom and Digital Mobile Philippines- will be allowed to participate in the upcoming auction for the last 3G spectrum license by Philippines’ National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

The three companies had asked the regulator to lift its ban preventing them from participating in the auction after which the NTC revised the rules for the auction allowing companies that are already authorized to operate a mobile network and companies with pending authorizations to participate.

AZ Communications Network, Multi-Media Telephony, Next Mobile, and Pacific Wireless are the companies with pending authorizations.

Tagged with: 3G • ASIA • Auction • Digital Mobile • Globe Telecom • National Telecom • National Telecommunications Commission • NTC • operator • Philippines • Smart Communication

Subscriber base of mobile operators in Asia grew rapidly in 2009

On 02.09.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: With an increase of 23%, a combined regional mobile customer base of 285 million has been reported by Singapore’s SingTel by December 31, 2009 which is 52 million more than a year ago. 8.4 million mobile customers has been added by Bharti India which is again 8.1 million a more than a quarter ago.

Indonesia’s Telkomsel’s mobile customer base grew by 25 per cent, or 16.3 million from a year ago, to 81.6 million. Philippines based Globe added 117,000 customers in the quarter and AIS’ mobile customer base grew 4.7 per cent, or 1.3 million, to 28.8 million.

Even Bangladesh based Warid’s total mobile customer base rose to 18.8 million as at December 31, 2009. Optus’ postpaid customer base grew a record 164,000 during the quarter, resulting in the postpaid customer base exceeding 4 million as at 31 December 2009.

Tagged with: ASIA • Bangladesh • Bharti • India • Indonesia • operator • Optus • Philippines • Singapore • SingTel • Telkomsel

BellTel sale receives green signal by NTC (Philippines)

On 02.09.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The proposal for transfer of ownership of Bell Telecommunications Philippines Inc (BellTel) has been approved by the Philippines’ telecoms regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

The ownership would be transferred to Two Cassandra-CCI Conglomerates, a holding company that once owned a small stake in Liberty Telecoms Holdings, which was bought by San Miguel Corp (SMC) together with partner Qatar Telecoms.

The move will result into PHP3.6 billion (USD78 million) cash injection into BellTel. 40% stake in BellTel was acquired by Two Cassandra on December 18, 2009 and both the parties signed an agreement according to which Cassandra will buy the remaining six million shares or 60% of the issued and outstanding capital stock of BellTel after the NTC approves the change in ownership.

Two minority shareholders of BellTel, South China Resources Inc. and Liberty Flour Mills Inc also sold off their stakes to Two Cassandra.

Tagged with: AR Telecom • ASIA • Belltel • Cassandra-CCI • China • LTE • National Telecommunications Commission • Philippine • Philippines • Qatar • Qatar Telecom • south China

Filipino telco BayanTel petitions court to ditch Extelcom’s rehab plan

On 02.06.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The supreme court of Philippines has been requested by Bayan Telecommunications Inc (BayanTel) to shelve court-imposed rehabilitation plan for troubled domestic operator Express Telecommunications Company (Extelcom).

106-page petition has been submitted by BayanTel and its partner Marifil Holdings Corp arguing that their proposed rehabilitation plan would enable Extelcom to generate cumulative revenue of PHP1.8 billion over ten years.

BayanTel, has claimed that it is a perfect commercial partner for Extelcom because of its sufficient capital and technical expertise in wireless communications service besides offering to share its provincial wireless local loop revenues and its EBITDA from roaming service for foreign visitors with Extelcom in exchange for the use of the latter’s frequencies in the 800MHz band.

Tagged with: ASIA • Bayan Telecom • Bayan Telecommunications • EBITDA • Express Telecom • operator • Philippines

Globe Telecom Q4 profit rises 8.5%

On 02.05.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The fourth-quarter net profit of Globe telecom increased 8.5% from a year earlier. The net profit for the three months ended December 31 rose to PHP2.72 billion ($58.6 million) from PHP2.50 billion a year earlier, pushing full-year profit 11% higher to PHP12.57 billion from PHP11.28 billion.

The net profit of the Philippines’ second-largest telecommunications group by sales got a major boost from its broadband and fixed-line data businesses and had made company to allocate more than half of this year’s $500 million capital expenditure to these fast-growing services.

According to Ernest Cu, president and chief executive of Globe, as the company set forth to its path to acquiring quality subscribers and focusing on delivery of premium customer experience in 2009, it is now in a better position to push further the gains in its broadband and corporate fixed-line data businesses while driving growth in its mobile business

Tagged with: ASIA • Capital Expenditure • Globe Telecom • Net Profit • Philippines

Further 2,000 sites for 3G, WiMAX to be deployed by Globe (Philippines)

On 01.28.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Further 2000 sites for 3G mobile and WiMAX services will be rolled out by Globe Telecom, Philippines number two operators by subscribers, this year. The firm has also promised to provide faster internet service due to its recent investment in a regional cable system.

Globe Telecom had a total of 3,000 3G sites, 900 WiMAX sites and 60,000 regular cellular sites at the end of 2009.

Globe Telecom will use 3G networks to cover both urban and rural areas comprising additional antennas on existing towers as the cost of building stand-alone physical structures for 3G or WiMAX would not be cost-effective.

Tagged with: 3G • ASIA • Globe Telecom • operator • Philippines • WiMAX

Application for 3G license submitted by Schutzengel Telecom

On 01.28.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in the Philippines has received an application from market newcomer Schutzengel Telecom Inc to get provisional authority to build, install, operate and maintain a national 3G mobile network.

As per the application submitted by Schutzengel Telecom, the company is fully aware and cognizant of the vital need to provide the general public with an adequate, efficient and cost effective means of mobile communications and is open and amenable to operate within any of the frequency bandwidth which is presently available or may be made available for the 3G standard.

With NTC looking to award the country’s fifth and final 3G operating license through a ‘beauty contest’ style process, Schutzengel claims it is ‘legally, technically and financially capable to put up a 3G network’. Besides, it also possesses the requisite financial resources and capability to render the proposed service which shall be sourced from a combination of internally generated funds, supplier’s credit, loans and other forms of financing, and should it be necessary, from equity infusion

Tagged with: 3G • 3G license • ASIA • Essar • National Telecommunications Commission • Philippines • Schutzengel Telecom

Philippines to get new WiMAX operator

On 01.21.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A new WiMAX operator is set to enter the Philippines telecom market as Liberty Telecommunications Holdings (Liberty Telecom) is ready to launch its commercial network soon.

Backed by San Miguel Corp and Qatar Telecom, the company has already trialed a free pilot service to selected clients in Metro Manila, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati and Quezon City and now plans to begin a full-blown service.

The operator holds 40MHz of bandwidth in the 2.5GHz-2.7GHz range and aims to keep the prices lower than its rival with the rates as little as PHP250 (USD5.45) per month.

Tagged with: Middle East • operator • Philippines • Qatar Telecom • WiMAX