In another unprecedented move, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and Sun Cellular announced that effective October 3, it is expanding their free Internet offer to all of their prepaid subscribers to also cover all their postpaid and broadband subscribers. Furthermore, they are extending the duration of the free mobile Internet promo across all subscribers – postpaid, prepaid and broadband — from November 30 through the Christmas season until January 5, 2014.
The announcement was made through MVP’s official Twitter account: “TY for the overwhelming response to #SmartFREEInternet. Our early Christmas gift to our loyal and new subs – offer now extended to Jan. 5.”
In another tweet, MVP added “Even better – free Internet now open to ALL prepaid, postpaid & broadband subscribers of Smart, TNT 7 Sun #smartFREEinternet for All.”
Full Facebook experience and more
On top of their free Internet, all subscribers can also enjoy “unli” “all-you-can” Facebook access – including sending messages via Facebook messenger and viewing of videos embedded in the social networking site. Subscribers can also enjoy all-day Wikipedia access as well on top of their daily 30 MB free data allocation.
Through this special offer, all of the 72 million subscribers of Smart, Sun and Talk ‘N Text can enjoy browsing through all their favorite websites as well their social media accounts using their data-enabled handsets. They can also send and receive emails, use their favorite mobile apps, shop online, and more – without incurring additional data charges.
This move comes a week after Smart and Sun Cellular surprised the industry with its groundbreaking offer for free mobile Internet for its Smart prepaid, Talk ‘N Text and Sun Cellular prepaid mobile subscribers.
“This is our way of thanking our subscribers as well as a response to the requests of our postpaid and broadband subscribers to be included in the special offer. It is part of our overall strategy in accelerating mobile Internet adoption and usage in the country,” said Charles A. Lim, executive vice president and head for wireless consumer business at Smart.
Text FREE to 9999
To avail of the free mobile Internet offer, subscribers just have to maintain an airtime balance of at least one peso, or be subscribed to any load bucket/promo. They can register each day, by simply sending “FREE” to the number “9999.” Registration is free. They will receive an SMS confirmation upon successful registration.
Once registered, subscribers can enjoy a free data volume package of up to 30MB per day. Data charges will however apply to peer-to-peer uploads and downloads, videos (unless embedded in Facebook), VOIP and messaging (except for Facebook messenger).
Smart’s successive free mobile Internet offers follows the leader’s recent announcement that it has stepped up the deployment of its broadband network, to meet the growing demand for data services.
Resilient and nationwidest network
“With millions of subscribers going online, our network has been performing very well, enabling them to sign-up for the service to take advantage of the free Internet offer .” said Roland G. Pena, Smart Technology Group Head.
The PLDT Group has thus far rolled out about 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables all over the country which provides the transmission facilities needed to support Internet services. It has also the most extensive international cable systems needed to connect the Philippines to the rest of the world.
Last Wednesday, PLDT also announced that it is boosting the capacity of its 90,000-kilometer domestic fiber optic network by 520 gigabits per second under a P544-million expansion project that will be completed by the first quarter of 2015. This will raise the total capacity of PLDT’s DFON by 13 percent to 4.6 terabits per second.
