Smart offers ‘Holy Grail’ of mobile Internet service

Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S III, right, and Apple’s iPhone 4S. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Smart Communications Inc. will soon enable its subscribers to access the Internet on their mobile phones for as low as P1, as the company describes the mobile Internet service to be the most affordable to date.

The service, dubbed PisoNet, will be initially available to Talk ’N Text (TNT) subscribers, allowing them access to all apps and websites on mobile phones for only P1 per 10 minutes, with the exception of video streaming sites and file-sharing activities, Smart said in a statement.

Set to be rolled out this month, the service will be much more affordable than the standard P5 per 15-minute charging rate for mobile Internet.

“Now, one peso is all you need to access the Internet. PisoNet thus brings the many benefits of the Internet to more Filipinos nationwide, especially those who are accessing the Internet for the first time using their phones,” said Charles A. Lim, head of Smart’s wireless consumer division.

“With this upcoming service, the user is not limited to specific sites or apps. They can thus access the mobile apps and sites that are most relevant to them at a more affordable price,” Lim explained.

PisoNet is thus expected to further push Smart’s growth momentum in mobile data, which has grown by 73 percent from last year’s figures, as more Filipinos gain access to the Internet via their mobile phones.

PisoNet will be delivered through a pioneering mobile Internet platform which will enable Smart’s mobile phone data network to efficiently manage and shape the flow of Internet data traffic. As a result, network resources may be used more efficiently to deliver the Internet services that people want.

“This platform, unmatched by any other country in the world, is a technical breakthrough that enables us to offer very affordable Internet ‘sachets’ sustainably,” Lim explained. “This means we can keep offering best-value mobile Internet products for as low as ‘piso.’”

Smart said that it would not sacrifice consumer experience when it begins offering data services in sachets. Subscribers may pay only for the Internet services that they need on an “always on” basis.

The same platform also powers PowerApp, the telco’s suite of mobile Internet packages that allows subscribers to access Internet bundles—such as Social, Photo, Email, Chat, and individual apps—for as low as P5 a day.

“This is the ‘Holy Grail’ for Internet advocates who want to bridge the digital divide while sustaining quality of service. And we’ve taken one big stab at it, using this groundbreaking platform targeted at one of the largest prepaid markets in the world,” said Dennis Mendiola, cofounder of Smart subsidiary Chikka, which developed the platform.