Filipinos connect with loved ones through call, text, Internet

MANILA, Philippines–Personal calls to connect with loved ones are making a comeback, especially during the holidays. This was apparent when voice traffic surged almost double this Christmas season, according to leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom.

In a statement sent to media, Globe said that based on its network traffic data, voice calls during the peak dates of December 24, 25, and 31, 2012, and January 1, 2013, increased by an average of 80 percent from the same period in 2011, with its highest growth recorded on January 1 at 90 percent.

Data usage, including Internet surfing on mobile phones or computers, increased by an average of 50 percent, with peak usage on December 25 at 57 percent, the statement said.

SMS or text messaging continued to be one of the most popular forms of sending holiday greetings. Text traffic still grew by an average of 10 percent for the same period, with peak recorded on December 25 at 13 percent growth.

According to Yoly Crisanto, Head of Corporate Communications at Globe, the increase in voice traffic in 2012 was due to the growth in promo subscription for call services and promos, which has tripled compared to 2011.

“Calling gives conversations that unique personal touch compared to texting or sending greetings via Facebook or Twitter.  Sometimes it’s more heartwarming to hear real laughter instead of the popular ‘LOL’.   During the recent holiday season, we gave our subscribers more reasons to do actual calls because of our affordable bucket promos,” said Crisanto.

Subscribers enjoyed all unlimited and bucket calling promos by registering in advance or choosing the promo variant with the longer validity. The telco’s self-service menu, *143#, also paved the way for subscribers to easily register to promos without having to memorize numerous keywords or access codes.

Prior to the holiday season, Globe announced that it was ready to serve the usual holiday traffic with an expected surge in calls, texts and mobile browsing on the back of its stronger and faster network as a result of its ongoing network modernization program.

At present, Globe is on track to complete the first phase of the program by first quarter of this year which involves the replacement of all network equipment nationwide with advanced, cutting-edge telecommunications infrastructure, resulting to crystal-clear calls, more prompt SMS exchanges, and faster mobile browsing even at peak times.