Smart among active players in AsPac cellphone market

Asia Pacific continues to be one of the hot spots to watch as the mobile communications industry continues its explosive growth worldwide, and the Philippines’ leading wireless services provider Smart Communications remains one of the most active players in the region.

Smart was recently tapped to host the 28th Asia Pacific Conference of the GSM Association (GSMA), the first time the bi-annual meeting of over 136 GSM mobile phone operators in 49 countries in the region was held in the Philippines. Close to 150 delegates attended the two-day conference held at the Shangri-La in Cebu.

The GSMA is the global trade body tasked to promote, protect and enhance the interests of GSM (global system for mobile communications) operators throughout the world. Asia Pacific, one of the GSMA’s six regions, is the biggest region for GSM technologies, with 1.1 billion subscribers or 40 percent of the world total as of end-2007.

Even with this staggering number, Asia Pacific remains the area with the most potential for growth.  At the event, GSM Asia Pacific chair Anoja Obeyesekere noted  that “over two billion people in the region have yet to be connected via mobile communications.”

The key drivers of usage in Asia Pacific were also highlighted in the event, roaming being one of them. One of the pillars of the GSM standard are mobile communications services that users could carry across borders. These days, roaming has become central to the cellular offerings of operators worldwide, with subscribers having come to expect – seamless connectivity as they get in and out of different countries.

In the Philippines, Smart continues to beef up its status as “the Filipino’s biggest mobile network to the world” by offering connectivity to over 400 roaming partners in over 200 countries all over the world.

Officials note that the convenience of roaming available to Smart subscribers that travel – either for business or leisure, in long or short durations continues to be one of the key product offerings of the telco leader, and it makes available a full suite of GSM services that cater specifically to this set of subscribers. Whether postpaid or prepaid, Smart subscribers have easy, one-click access to the widest array of international roaming– partner networks when they travel.

Most recently, through the Conexus Alliance, Smart launched the flat-rate, $10-per day unlimited mobile Internet for subscribers that travel across Asia - just one of the many customer-centric innovations of the telco leader. 

Visitors to the Philippines also benefit from the roaming agreements of Smart with its partners worldwide.  They are able to make and receive voice calls, send and receive data, or access other Smart services when they get to the country, keeping them connected to their home and business, seamlessly.