Smart service allows SMS to sea-based OFWs

It’s now possible for Dad or Kuya to receive text messages on board the ship of their assignment overseas.

Smart Communications Inc. recently launched SEATEXT, the first text-messaging service that allows relatives and friends of sea-based overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to send messages to ships at sea anywhere in the world.

"SEATEXT addresses the need of our subscribers to reach their relatives who are working on board international vessels any time, especially during emergencies. They no longer have to wait for their relatives at sea to initiate contact; they can do it themselves through SMS," said Manuel Castillo, Smart’s value added services and product development head.

The Philippines is the largest supplier of seafarers in the global labor industry. Some 180,000 Filipinos or 28.5 percent of the total maritime population of 632,000 are on board vessels worldwide.

"SEATEXT works no matter where the ship of the Filipino seafarer happens to be when the text message is sent because we’re using the most advanced satellite network in the world," Castillo said.

This network is operated by Inmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications services, he said.

First, a Smart subscriber has to know the Inmarsat-C number of the ship where his or her overseas relative is assigned when sending a text message.

If the subscriber does not know the nine-digit Inmarsat-C number but knows the name of the sea vessel, all he or she has to do is type SEASHIP (space) VESSEL NAME to 223 to receive the Inmarsat-C number that he or she wants.

Subscribers who know the Inmarsat-C number of the sea vessel but need to make sure that it is the correct one can simply type SEANAME (space) Inmarsat-C number and send to 223. They will receive an SMS telling them the name of the sea vessel. Each SMS costs P2.50.

The subscribers can then send a message to the overseas family member or relative by typing SEATEXT (space) Inmarsat-C number (space) Recipient Name (space) then the message. The message must not be more than 160 characters.

For example, a wife who wants to send a birthday greeting to her husband who is working on board an international liner can send to 2238888 the message: SEATEXT 412345678 Dennis Santos Happy Birthday. Maganda recovery ni Tatay. Naglalakad na si baby. Tawag ka pagdating sa port. Alma. She will then receive an SMS after three to five minutes, telling her that the message had been sent. Each message Alma sends to her husband costs P80.

SEATEXT is just one of the innovative services offered by Smart to make mobile communications work for Filipinos here and abroad.

Smart also offers Smart Link, the first satellite-based prepaid telecommunication service that provides incoming and outgoing telephone service to both residential subscribers and businesses using the AceS satellite network.

The ACeS satellite footprint covers 11 million square miles that stretches from Pakistan and India in the west, to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea in the east and from Japan and China in the north, down to Indonesia in the south.

Smart also launched Smart Padala, a money transfer service that allows relatives and friends abroad to send money remittances to the Smart mobile phones of their beneficiaries in the Philippines through Smart’s remittance partners.