Smart steps up mobile Internet customer education program

MANILA, Philippines - Since the launch of its Mobile Internet Customer Education Program a month ago, Smart Communications has conducted lectures on the rudiments of surfing the Internet using their mobile phones in a number of communities nationwide.

“With mobile phone penetration rate in the Philippines already at around 85 percent of about 92 million population versus an estimated PC penetration rate of only about 20 percent of more than 13 million households, the mobile phone is one of the most ubiquitous tools that Filipinos may use to access the Internet and visit social networking sites,” Smart customer care head Joy Sanchez said.

She added that the same way Smart brought cellular phone services to the masses, it is bringing affordable Internet to all Filipinos via their cellphones.

“A lot of our subscribers may not be aware that they may surf the net using web-enabled mobile phones. At present, only roughly 10 percent of our subscribers use mobile Internet. We embarked on our Mobile Internet Customer Education Program as part of our Internet for All advocacy. We’d like to tell them that even if they don’t have a PC or a laptop, they can still access the Internet,” she said.

She pointed out that households with PCs at home may also connect to the Internet via Smart Bro, the wireless broadband Internet service of subsidiary Smart Broadband Inc. (SBI).

Launched in July at the Philippine Women’s University (PWU), the Mobile Internet Customer Education Program is slated to run for five months or until November 2010. It will be rolled out in almost all of Smart Experience Centers and PLDT centers nationwide. It is designed for students, partner communities like schools, barangay residents, government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), and private corporations.

As of Aug. 13, Smart has conducted lectures in the following communities: PWU, Manila; Soroptomist International, Iligan; Centro Department Store, Isabela; Asia Pacific College, Makati City; Marikina Polytechnic College, Marikina City; Valencia City LGU, Bukidnon; Mindanao State University, GenSan; Notre Dame of Marbel University, General Santos City; Cagayan De Oro LGU; Don Mariano University, La Union; and St. Louis University, Baguio, Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa; Rockwell Mall, Makati; Makati City Hall Employees, Makati; Bgry. Guadalupe Viejo, Makati; Taytay LGU, Rizal; Union Christian College, San Fernando La Union and Jollibee Solano, Nueva Vizcaya.

Smart subscribers are taught how they can surf from their Internet capable mobile phones for only P10 every 30 minutes. Part of the education campaign is to teach subscribers how to properly end the browsing session and disconnect after using the service to ensure that charging of the P10 per 30 minutes use of Internet does not continue.

Users are also made aware of the option to go unlimited or “unli” via various mobile data plans such as Unlisurf 50 for unlimited surfing for one day for P50; Unlisurf 300 for unlimited access for seven days for P300; and Unlisurf 1200 for unlimited surfing for 30 days for P1,200. They are shown how to register via text UNLI <rate> and send to 211, or via http://m.smart.com.ph/surf to select an Unlisurf package.

Blackberry users may also avail of the same Unlisurf packages by texting and sending to 2007 the following: BB DAY for unlimited Internet for one day for P50; BB WEEK for unlimited Internet for seven days for P300; and BB MONTH for unlimited Internet for 30 days for P1,200.

Web Unli Plans for unlimited surfing in specific sites like Facebook, Twitter, Friendster and Multiply for P20 per day per site. Users may avail of the plans by going to http://m.smart.com.ph on their mobile phones.

Smart users may also enjoy various Surf, Surf N’ Mail and Surf N’ Mail Max variants. The Surf promo gives users eight hours of browsing for 30 days for P119 (text COMBO SURF to 8977). For P299, Surf N’ Mail provides users eight hours of browsing plus unlimited push email for 30 days (text COMBO MAIL to 8977). For P399, subscribers may opt for Surf N’ Mail Max and get 16 hours of browsing plus unlimited push email for 30 days (text COMBO MAX to 8977).

Subscribers on international roaming will not be able to avail of the promo subscriptions and unlimited packages.

To set cellphones for mobile Internet, key in SET<Phone Model> and send to 211 for free. Settings will be sent via text message to users’ phones. The configuration must be saved. Then change the Network Mode to Dual Mode by selecting Settings from the phone menu, then Network, then Network Mode, then Dual Mode.

Smart subscribers may now also connect with Smart via Twitter at http://twitter.com/SMARTCares and via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SmartCommunications.

As of end-June, Smart has 45.3 million subscribers on its network while subsidiary SBI has 1.3 million Smart Bro subscribers.