PLDT introduces a new era of home broadband with all-new Google Wifi Plans

Enjoy Unli Fibr in every room, on every device starting at Php2,299 per month

Leading digital services provider PLDT is ushering in a new era of home broadband as it introduces the new PLDT Home Google Wifi Plans, which lets you enjoy Unli Fibr in every room and on every device starting at Php2,299 per month.

The new PLDT Home Google Wifi Plans come with Unli Fibr and three Google Wifi 'points,' which you can strategically install around your home, so your family can make the most of PLDT Home’s fastest Unli Fibr connection in all their online activities. The new PLDT Home Google Wifi Plans also come with a free landline with unlimited calls to Smart, TNT, and Sun.

With PLDT Home Google Wifi Plans, you can put an end to Wi-Fi dead spots – those corners in your home or office where Wi-Fi signal just cannot get through – an especially common problem in huge houses with thick walls, multiple levels, and other features that block or hinder Wi-Fi signals.

A bane to our increasingly digital lifestyle, Wi-Fi dead spots result to interrupted online activities: One minute you are making a perfectly fine video call with your best friend, uploading an important file, or streaming your favorite series from your living room – only to get cut off the moment you go to another room, head to the kitchen, or move upstairs.

Using mesh networking technology, PLDT Home Google Wifi Plans let you enjoy not only fast but also reliable and seamless Unli Fibr around your home, delivered by strategically located Google Wifi 'points'.

Powered by Unli Fibr with speeds ranging from 30Mbps, 60 Mbps, 120 Mbps, 250 Mbps, up to 1Gbps, the PLDT Home Google Wifi Plans let you stream videos seamlessly, upload and download heavy files in an instant, play games without lag, and make clear and video calls without any interruption.

Making sure that your home is blanketed with Wi-Fi is a custom job, as no two homes are exactly the same. That’s why as part of the package, PLDT Home Google Wifi Plans come with free service from the Home Geek Squad to help you position and set up the Google Wifi ‘points’ for optimal experience.

Google Wifi is designed intuitively, ensuring that connected devices are always latched on to the channel with the strongest Wi-Fi signal from PLDT Home Fibr. So even if you move around the house, the Network Assist feature will keep you connected online, leaving you with a seamless and uninterrupted internet experience no matter where you go.

To manage Google Wifi, you can download the companion app (available for Android and iOS) to manage settings, allocate bandwidth to different devices, and create scheduled pauses on devices used by kids.

Put an end to your Wi-Fi dead spots now and enjoy Unli Fibr in every room, on every device by upgrading to the all-new Google Wifi Plans! Know more by visiting www.pldthome.com.

PLDT and Smart ring in Christmas with ‘Holideals,’ their biggest holiday sale

Brace yourself as leading digital services provider PLDT Inc. and its mobile arm Smart Communications, Inc. are ushering in the Christmas season with the first ever ‘Holideals,’ their biggest holiday blow-out yet for current and new customers.

PLDT and Smart’s Holideals feature huge discounts and irresistible offers that suit your Christmas gift list - whether you’re looking for the perfect present for your loved ones, or simply thinking of a well-deserved treat for yourself to celebrate the season.

“Christmas has always been the happiest season of Filipinos, and as our gift for everyone, we brought together our best deals that make it a lot easier to enjoy the most amazing digital experiences powered by the country’s fastest fixed and mobile networks,” said Andrew L. Santos, PLDT and Smart FVP for Consumer Marketing. “Indeed, there is no better time to be a PLDT Home and Smart customer than now.”

With Holideals, you can enjoy fast and reliable connectivity at home with the whole family with these special PLDT Home offers:

• For new PLDT Home Fibr customers

Save up to Php3,600 on Unli Fibr and enjoy waived activation and installation fees, free speedboost, and zero cash-out when you sign up for a new PLDT Home Unli Fibr plan.

• For current PLDT Home customers

Enjoy free one month when you sign up to a new add-on service, such as a Telpad, FamCam, or TVolution Roku Powered when you apply at any PLDT Store nationwide.

• PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi

Get a Php200 discount (now only Php1,795.00 from Php1,995.00) and a free six-month subscription to iflix.

• PLDT Online Gadget Sale

Get up to 50% discount on gadgets including the First Generation TVolution stick, Telpad, and Smart Watch, among others, on the PLDT Online Store.

Leveling up your digital lifestyle with the latest smartphones and data-packed offers is also a lot easier with Holideals offers from Smart:

• For Smart Prepaid customers

Enjoy discounted load card when you buy the Smart Prepaid Gift Card.

• For Smart Postpaid customers

Enjoy exclusive discounts and deals when you renew or sign up for a new GigaX Plan with the latest flagship devices, including Samsung Note 9, Huawei Mate 20, and Huawei Mate 20 Pro, as well as when you subscribe to a new Smart Bro Pocket WiFi Plan or iPad Plan. Also get a chance to win exciting raffle prizes with your new plans!

• Smart Online Store Bazaar

Enjoy awesome deals and avail of LTE smartphones at a steal of a price when you apply for a Smart Postpaid Plan on the Smart Online Store.

What are you waiting for? Celebrate Christmas with the biggest deals from PLDT and Smart! To learn more and start your holiday shopping, visit www.smart.com.ph/Pages/PLDTSmartHolideals now!

PLDT, Smart unlock amazing digital experiences powered by PH’s fastest network

Unlock the Future - MVP with PLDT and Smart Executives and  Partners

Leading digital services providers PLDT, Inc. and Smart Communications unlock the future with new innovative products and services powered by the country's fastest fixed and mobile networks. In the photo: PLDT and Smart Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan leads the celebratory toast with PLDT and Smart executives and partners from ABS-CBN, Cignal, ESPN 5, Google, Huawei, iflix, NBA, Oppo, Samsung, StarMobile, and Roku.

Fresh from their latest recognition as the Philippine’s fastest fixed and mobile networks, leading digital services provider PLDT Inc. and its mobile arm Smart Communications are ushering in a new wave of innovative products & services that aim to unlock amazing experiences for Filipinos whether they are in the comfort of their home or on the go.

PLDT and Smart presented their latest products at a powerhouse event aptly themed ‘Unlock the Future’ and graced by executives, endorsers, celebrities, and partners in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

“Over the past years, we’ve been hard at work to future-proof our network and beef up our digital content and product partners. We’re delighted to present our most exciting services that are designed to meet the ever-evolving needs of Filipinos,” said Oscar A. Reyes, Jr., PLDT and Smart SVP and Consumer Business Market Development Head.

“Backed by our fastest networks, these innovative solutions will elevate the way our customers enjoy digital devices, services, and content. As we get ready to close 2018 and prepare for a new year ahead, we will continue our groundbreaking work to help empower Filipinos to enjoy an amazing life,” said Andrew L. Santos, PLDT-Smart FVP and Consumer Marketing Head.

Unlocking an amazing life for Filipinos

To establish even stronger connections at home, PLDT has introduced the new PLDT Home Fibr Google Wifi Plans, which feature a whole home wifi network system that puts an end to dead spots and ensures strong and Fibr-fast connection in every corner of your home.

New PLDT Home customers can now subscribe to Google Wifi Plan 3799, which comes with an unlimited 50Mbps connection, three Google Wifi points, and free service assistance from the Home Geek Squad. On the other hand, existing PLDT Home Fibr customers can simply avail of Google Wifi units as an add-on for Php799 per month for a set of three.

PLDT is also unlocking a new entertainment experience at home with the upcoming launch of the new PLDT Home TVolution Lite that is powered by Roku®. The new service features a plug-and-play device that allows customers to easily and effortlessly watch trending videos on YouTube; their favorite HD channels from Cignal; Top Hollywood, Asian and local movies and TV series from iflix; critically-acclaimed Netflix originals and films, and hundreds of free streaming channels on their TV.

Following their support for the much celebrated Esports and Gaming Summit 2018 and the recently concluded ‘Road to the Nationals,’ which awarded the country’s top DOTA 2 and Tekken 7 players, PLDT and Smart also affirmed their commitment to deliver the best gaming experience for Filipino gamers powered by PLDT Home Fibr, the fastest Fibr connection for lag-free gaming at home, and Smart LTE, the fastest LTE network for gaming on-the-go.

Unlocking bigger and more rewarding experiences

On the other hand, buoyed by the massive success of its Free YouTube campaign, which more than doubled the daily active YouTube users on its network and drove over 13 times more data usage traffic from customers, Smart has stepped up to unlock total entertainment with Video Every Day.

A new promo that comes with all of Smart’s GigaSurf data packages, Video Every Day provides customers with up to 1 hour of Video access daily for YouTube, iflix, iWant TV, Cignal Play and NBA League Pass - for as long as their GigaSurf subscription is valid. Smart customers can now register to GigaSurf with Video Every Day by simply dialing *121# or via the mySmart app.

Apart from these services, Smart has also announced game-changing partnerships with popular smartphone manufacturers Oppo, Samsung, and Starmobile to encourage more Filipinos to upgrade to LTE-capable handsets that come with special discounts and freebies.

Among these special LTE-capable handsets are the OPPO A71 Smart LTE phone kit, which is now available for Php5,998 (from the original SRP of Php6,990); the Samsung J2 Core Smart LTE Phone Kit priced at Php4,990 (from Php5,990); and Starmobile Play Click TNT LTE phone kit, which is very affordable at Php2,998 (from Php3,490).

To offer a much bigger digital experience, Smart also continues to strengthen its portfolio of the latest flagship devices with the data-packed GigaX Plans, which feature separate data allocations for streaming videos, as well as enjoying apps and surfing websites.

Smart offers the newly launched Huawei Mate 20 with the GigaX Plans at Php2199 per month, and the Huawei Mate 20 Pro at Php2,599 per month.

Smart also makes it easier for customers to get hold of the latest iPhones, starting with the iPhone XS at Php3,299 per month, and the iPhone XS Max at Php3,599 per month. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is also available with the Smart GigaX Plans.

Finally, in celebration of its 25th anniversary, Smart announced its biggest anniversary e-raffle promo in the company’s history, which gives customers a chance to win data packages, MVP Rewards points, LTE smartphones every month, leading up to the grand raffle on February 25, 2019 in which one lucky subscriber will win Php25 million cash! To join, subscribers need only to register to select data promos and add-ons.

Twin awards for the country’s fastest network

Earlier this year, PLDT and Smart were cited for being the country’s fastest fixed and mobile networks for Q1-Q2 2018, respectively, by Ookla®, the global leader in internet testing and analysis.

Just recently, independent mobile analytics company OpenSignal also cited Smart for providing its customers the best video experience in the country. The UK-based firm has published an independent analysis of the customer experience for video services by telecom carriers in Asia, showing that Smart garnered a video experience score of 42.2, well ahead of competition in the Philippines and well above the national average.

OpenSignal also recognized Smart earlier this year for having the country’s fastest LTE network, awarding the company with four citations including best in 4G LTE download speed; best in overall download speed; best 4G latency performance; and best 3G latency performance in its March 2018 report.

PLDT Home, the country’s No.1 home broadband, launches its first prepaid broadband service

With the company’s vision of bringing world-class Internet to Filipino families, PLDT has launched its first ever PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi, an affordable service that makes it easier than ever for more families to enjoy their online activities in the comfort of their home.

The PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is a plug and play device that instantly connects you to the Internet. Once plugged into a power source, it can simultaneously connect up to 5 WiFi-ready devices, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, to high-speed Internet.

Unlike the regular Pocket WiFi which is meant for users on the go, the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is specially designed for home use as it utilizes the LTE 700MHZ band, a low frequency that easily penetrates houses and buildings. This way, the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is able to deliver high-speed Internet indoors – whether in the living room, kitchen, or bedroom.

PLDT’s pinakasulit Home Internet

Aside from being affordable, PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi also lets you enjoy PLDT Home’spinakasulit Internet with the Home Boost 15, which comes with 1GB valid for 1 day for only Php15. You can enjoy Home Boost 15 as an add-on to promos like Home Boost 50 or up, for greater savings.

With the PLDT Prepaid Home Wifi, families can learn together and research for school; bond by streaming videos and music; stay active on their favorite apps; or catch up with loved ones and friends on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter – all in the comfort of their homes.

And because it is prepaid, there’s no need to worry about monthly bill payments, lock-in period, or uncontrolled data usage because customers simply have to load it up and register to promos that suit their family’s needs.

Powered by the Philippines’ fastest mobile Internet

The PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is powered Smart’s LTE network, the Philippines’s fastest mobile Internet, according to the latest Speedtest® report of Ookla, the global leader in Internet testing and analysis.

In its analysis of over 2 million user-generated tests on LTE devices in the Philippines from Q1 to Q2 of 2018, Ookla said Smart provided the country’s fastest LTE connection with average download speeds of 17.25 Mbps, and average upload speeds of 7.65 Mbps.

On the other hand, UK-based mobile analytics firm OpenSignal also recognized Smart for having the country’s fastest LTE network, bestowing the company four citations in its March 2018 report: best in 4G LTE download speed; best in overall download speed; best 4G latency performance; and best 3G latency performance.

High-speed Smart LTE now covers major urban areas including Metro Manila, Rizal, Cebu, and Davao, and top sites in Bacolod, Baguio, Baler, Batanes, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Laguna, Leyte, Palawan, Sagada, Sarangani, and Zamboanga, among others.

Get the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi with FREE 10GB for only P1,995

The PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is now available at all PLDT Stores and retailers nationwide and comes with FREE 10GB, valid for 7 days, for a one-time payment of only Php1,995.

FINTQ’s online lending platform Lendr also makes it easier for customers to get hold of the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi via affordable installment payments.

With Lendr, customers can buy the device for an initial low cash-out of Php495, followed by six weekly payments of Php370, which can be paid through any Smart Padala center, Bayad Center, ECPay, and 7-Eleven outlets. They simply need to visit https://pldthomewifi.lendr.com.ph to create an account, complete the application form and apply for a loan to purchase the device. FINTQ is the financial technology arm of Voyager Innovations--the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart.

What are you waiting for?  Get your own PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi now! To know more, visitwww.pldthome.com and follow PLDT’s official accounts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/PLDTHome) and Twitter (@PLDTHome).

Live network by first half of 2019: Smart and Ericsson to deploy 5G in PH

PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and Ericsson have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deploy the country’s first 5G pilot network by the first half of 2019.

Smart and Ericsson team up for 5G in PH. At the signing were PLDT Chief Corporate Services Officer Ray C. Espinosa, PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ericsson Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India Nunzio Mirtillo and Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Pacific Islands.

Smart and Ericsson team up for 5G in PH. At the signing were PLDT Chief Corporate Services Officer Ray C. Espinosa, PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ericsson Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India Nunzio Mirtillo and Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Pacific Islands.

Under the MoU, the 5G network will be first deployed in Luzon, the country’s largest and most populous island where about a third of the population work and live.

The 3GPP compliant 5G Trial System that will be deployed in Smart includes Ericsson 5G RAN, Core and Transport solutions. The 5G pilot deployment will allow Smart to explore industry partnership engagements, collaborate with schools and universities, and further develop competence in 5G.

“As 5G opens up more opportunities for new services and solutions to offer to our customers, we are investing in future-proofing our network and making sure that our network is ready for 5G,” said PLDT-Smart chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.

“Our partnership with Ericsson is part of our commitment to bring to the country the latest technologies to improve the experience of our customers, as well as boost the digital transformation of enterprises and industries,” he added.

“We are happy to partner with Smart to pioneer 5G in the Philippines. We believe first movers in 5G can reshape the market, grow market share and increase revenue streams. Combining improved capacity and ultra-low latency, 5G will help realize new use cases and business models and capture new revenue opportunities by addressing industry digitalization,” said Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Pacific Islands.

All set for 5G. Gracing the MoU signing were Ericsson vice president and key account manager Anthony Valdez, PLDT-Smart Chief Technology and Information Advisor Joachim Horn, PLDT Chief Corporate Services Officer Ray C. Espinosa, PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ericsson Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India Nunzio Mirtillo, PLDT-Smart Chief Revenue Officer Eric Alberto, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Pacific Islands Martin Wiktorin and PLDT-Smart head of Consumer Business for Customer Development Alex O. Caeg.

Future-proofed network

“To be able to deliver 5G services to its customers in the future, Smart is upgrading its network’s Core and Transport elements. This includes upgrading to fiber the backhaul connecting the network’s cell sites around the country and deploying 5G-ready equipment in the ongoing LTE roll-out,” according to Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT and Smart Senior Vice President for Network Planning and Engineering.

“As we continue to ramp up the roll-out of LTE, LTE-Advanced and carrier aggregation technology nationwide, we are also making sure that these are already future-proof and 5G-capable,” Tamayo added.

Under its current upgrades, Smart is installing 5G-compatible radio equipment across its network, which now has over 2,000 5G-ready sites.

Exciting possibilities

With its capability to deliver extremely high speeds coupled with low latency, 5G opens up exciting possibilities for Internet of Things (IoT) applications for Filipinos, particularly in healthcare and smart cities.

Smart has been testing 5G since 2016, when it achieved with technology partner Nokia 5G speeds of 2.5 Gigabits per second (Gbps) using 100 MHz with latency of just 1 millisecond over a ‘live’ network--the first in the Philippines.

Months later, PLDT and Smart announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with technology partner Huawei Technologies Phils. “to shape the strategic and commercial development of the 5G ecosystem in the Philippines.” In particular, the two parties were looking to identify and develop the areas of technological innovation needed to deliver 5G, which is expected to provide the foundation for the digital connected society.

In June, Smart launched its 5G TechnoLab, which is the company’s flagship facility for the research and development, standardization, and testing of 5G and is designed to be a sustainable environment for innovative services.

With Huawei, Smart also successfully breached 5G speeds of over 14Gbps in a test held at the 5G TechnoLab using 5G New Radio, in which the second set of global standards have been recently ratified.

Parent company PLDT has committed historic levels of resources for network transformation. For 2018, PLDT capex is expected to reach P58 billion, which includes allocations for the aggressive roll-out of its fiber broadband service, which also supports the stepped-up deployment of the mobile network by providing high-capacity links for cellular base stations.

PLDT, Voyager launch concierge service of social commerce platform TackThis!

Most businesses in the Philippines - large and small - recognize the potential of eCommerce, but only few are ready for the unique challenges that come with selling to customers online.

To address this gap, Voyager Innovations (Voyager), the digital unit of PLDT and Smart, together with PLDT Alpha and PLDT SME Nation, has launched today its premium concierge service for online store creator TackThis! to over a thousand partner businesses so they can quickly and efficiently build their own branded digital commerce footprint that incorporates a seamless social shopping experience for customers.

As a platform, TackThis! enables businesses to set up their online shops in just a matter of minutes. They can then “tack” their store to Facebook and other websites and the platform facilitates the customer’s entire digital commerce journey - beginning from the point of order, through the management of inventory, and ending with fulfillment and payment.

The premium concierge service aims to enable larger retailers who need a more comprehensive suite of features on top of the basic offerings of TackThis! Together with the wide array of solutions from PLDT Alpha and PLDT SME Nation, TackThis! is seen to further boost digital commerce in the country. 

“At Voyager, we believe that eCommerce is one of the building blocks of the digital economy. TackThis! is already changing eCommerce as it integrates the social shopping experience. Meanwhile, our partners can benefit from the one-stop solution that TackThis! provides, including our enhanced concierge service,” said Mitch Padua, vice president and head of digital commerce at Voyager Innovations.

“The premium concierge service gives retailers an end-to-end service that streamlines their online store requirements. This way, businesses don’t have to allocate huge resources in maintaining their online stores. TackThis! allows them to focus on what they know best: selling their products,” said Kat Luna-Abelarde, First Vice President and Head of PLDT SME Business.

The advanced features that come as a part of the concierge service include professional services for an effortless online store creation as well as hassle-free store management of logistics, payments and customer service via a team of TackThis! Ambassadors.

The concierge service also includes store marketing via placement on Takatack, the sister site of TackThis! Takatack is now the largest online shopping discovery platform that aggregates and promotes not only offerings from the thousands of merchants who have established their online shops through TackThis!, but also products from other online stores and retailers in the country including Rocket Internet-backed Zalora and Lazada.

Tackthis! has over 30,000 merchants in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines with more than 400 merchants already part of the premium Tackthis! Concierge Program - an end to end solution tailored to get retailers selling online quickly.

An industry trend analysis released by BMI Research last July estimated that 82% of all Internet users in the country or around 22 million Filipinos shop online. Retail sales account for USD207 billion but only 0.6% accounts for online retail.

The growth rate for eCommerce is high. A 2014 study by Ken Research estimates that Philippine eCommerce can expect a 101.4% annual growth rate from 2013 through 2018 due to increasingly heavier Internet usage and mobile penetration.

Out of the over one million registered businesses in the country, it is estimated that only 1% have a website. In the past, a company would have had to hire a large development and operations team to establish their digital footprint. TackThis! provides the simplicity and ease of having an online store. TackThis! aims to help businesses tap into this huge opportunity to reach more Filipinos going and shopping online. 

To know more about TackThis!, please visit: www.tackthis.com.ph/

To know more about Takatack, please visit: www.takatack.com/