Smart, 7-11 partner on GSM coin payphones

Smart Communications Inc., through its Global Access Group, partnered with Philippine Seven Corp. (7-Eleven) in setting up the first ever GSM coin payphones in the country.

After the country’s first wireless broadband Internet service SmartBro, Smart once again broke new ground in the world of technology by bringing to the public the PLDT Payphone Wireless which is equipped with a SIM card.

PLDT Payphone Wireless can be quickly installed anywhere in the country as long as there is a Smart network signal. Because of this development, people living in places without provisions for telephone lines can now enjoy PLDT Payphone’s affordable and reliable service.

“PLDT Payphone Wireless will be deployed to different parts of the country to cater to the general communication needs of Filipinos not only in the metro but also in the remotest areas of the country,” said Smart global access head Tina Mariano.

Since September, a total of 1,000 PLDT Payphone Wireless units will have been deployed in various strategic locations nationwide.

The 7-Eleven store chain is one of the prime partners of Smart in mounting the PLDT Payphone Wireless booths all over the country.

“The long years of partnership between Smart and 7-Eleven is very fitting because both offer everything that is new and anything that the people need at any time of the day,” said Liwayway Fernandez, 7-Eleven operations division manager.

“The synergy between the services Smart and 7-Eleven provide spells convenience,” she added.

“There’s nothing like working with the country’s leading telco like Smart,” said Mike Chuaunsu, marketing director of Philippine Seven Corp. “Smart always takes the lead in providing people with the newest technology and presenting limitless opportunities to the people.”

During the launching ceremony at the 7-11 branch along Don Bosco Road in Makati City, an inaugural call was made by Mariano, Smart network services division head Mar Tamayo, and Chuaunsu.

The successful call from the PLDT Payphone Wireless straight to the cellphone of Smart president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno proved that the Payphone Wireless is now ready to serve the public.

“I congratulate the people behind this successful and innovative initiative,” Nazareno said. “Being at the other end of the line during the inaugural call just proves that if we have the Filipino’s benefit at heart, we will never go wrong.”

Leo Mateo, Don Bosco Road 7-11 customer who was also the first to use the PLDT Payphone Wireless, shared his experience with the new product.

“The connection was so quick and there was no prolonged beep and communication gap. The PLDT Payphone Wireless is very useful especially in times of emergency and is very practical in making important phone calls even if my mobile phone runs out of battery,” he said.

Like the typical PLDT public payphone, it is coin-operated and follows the same operating procedure as the previous coin payphone units. A local call made with a PLDT Payphone Wireless costs only a peso per minute, NDD calls cost P5 per minute, calls to cellular phones anywhere in the country cost P8 per minute, and international direct calls to frequently called countries cost as low as P10 per minute.

The PLDT Payphone Wireless accepts both coins (P1, P5, and P10) and PLDT Touch and Budget Cards.

The PLDT Payphone business is managed by Smart’s Global Access Group.

Smart Broadband Inc. (SBI) offers Smart Bro, a wireless broadband service. SBI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Smart Communications Inc.