PLDT offers free Internet to prepaid subscribers

MANILA, Philippines - Dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) has started providing the 66 million prepaid mobile phone subscribers free Internet access until Nov. 30 as part of the group’s “Internet for all” advocacy.

PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan announced yesterday the unprecedented move providing free Internet access to the prepaid subscribers of Smart, Talk ‘N Text, and Sun Cellular using their data-enabled mobile phones.

“We are launching this initiative to provide a much larger number of Filipinos the opportunity to try out and experience the Internet, enjoy its benefits and, as we at Smart like to say, live more,” Pangilinan said in a press conference.

Pangilinan said prepaid subscribers could browse through and post on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, visit their favorite websites, search on Google and Wikipedia, use navigation tools like Waze and Google Maps, book a cab or limo service via Easy Taxi and Uber, or use traffic info sites such as the MMDA’s and InterAksyon’s.

He added that subscribers could also send and receive emails, read their favorite blogs or update their own blogs, listen to songs via Smart’s Spinnr music service, shop via online stores like Zalora, Lazada, book their travel details through sites like Skyscanner and Expedia, among other things – all without incurring data charges.

“This special offer is specifically designed to assist our prepaid subscribers who make up the bulk of our population. Many of them already have the mobile devices capable of accessing the internet but have yet to use them to go online,” he added.

According to him, Smart could effectively promote digital inclusion and spread the benefits of the Internet in the fastest and most effective way possible.

Charles Lim, PLDT executive vice president and head for Consumer Wireless Business of Smart, said each subscriber could enjoy a free data volume package of up to 30MB per day as long as they have an available airtime balance of at least P1, or is subscribed to any load bucket or promo.

He said subscribers should register each day, by simply sending “FREE” to the number “9999.”

However, Lim clarified that data charges would apply to peer-to-peer uploads and downloads, videos, VOIP (voice over internet protocol), and messaging.

For his part, PLDT president and chief executive officer Napoleon Nazareno said the two-month free Internet service would help further boost data usage by its subscribers.

He revealed that the data traffic of Smart has been growing by 77 percent while smartphone prices continue to fall coupled with innovative services like SmartNet and PisoNet.

Currently, he said only one-third of the 20 million smartphone users are using their mobile devices to connect to the internet.

Nazareo said the PLDT Group’s robust network of 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable would be able to handle the sudden surge in usage.

 “The strength and resiliency of our mobile data infrastructure enable us to make this special free Internet offer available to our prepaid subscribers,” he added.

Nazareno said the increase in usage would offset the expected foregone revenues resulting from the two-month free Internet service.