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GLOBE
Telecom is bringing into the country more than 5,000 of
Apple Inc.’s latest iPhone model that runs on
third-generation (3G) mobile technology.
The
Philippines’ second-largest phone company applied with
the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) last
Thursday a permit to import a total of 5,400 iPhone 3G,
according to an official of the commission who handles
importation permits.
“They
applied for importation permits for 3,000 iPhone units
at 16-gigabyte [GB] version and 2,400 units of the 8GB
version,” said the NTC official in an interview last
Friday.
Globe’s
application is expected to be approved this week, added
the NTC official.
The
application comes after a day it announced that it will
be offering iPhone 3G to postpaid and prepaid customers
starting August 22. iPhone reservations, Globe said,
may also be made by calling the company’s hot line or by
visiting its web site.
Globe,
owned by Singapore Telecommunications and conglomerate
Ayala Corp., will sell the iPhone 3G prepaid kits for
P41, 889 for the 8GB version and P48,899 for the 16GB
version.
Both
units come with a free load of P200 for five months.
The
iPhone will also be sold under postpaid monthly plans
from P1,599 to as much as P4,999, inclusive of free
Wi-Fi connection to Globe wireless Internet zones and
free local mobile Internet hours.
The
handset contains all the revolutionary features of
iPhone with 3G networking that is twice as fast as the
first-generation iPhone, built-in GPS (global
positioning system) for expanded location-based mobile
services, and iPhone 2.0 software, which includes
support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and runs the
hundreds of third-party applications already built with
the recently released iPhone SDK.
Manny
Aligada, Globe customer engagement head, said during the
company’s investors’ briefing last week that the
cellular firm will continue to be sensitive to the needs
of the market. “The release of the iPhone 3G forms part
of the company’s program to capture strategic segments,”
he said.
Last
month Globe obtained go-ahead of the NTC for the
importation and testing of 125 iPhone 3G units. Prior to
that, Globe was also allowed to import the first 25
iPhone 3G handsets.
The
cellular firm also obtained a type acceptance
certificate from the NTC. The procurement of this
certificate is mandated by the commission to ensure that
the handset model conforms to the technical and safety
standards set by the NTC.
It was
stated in the certificate that Apple Inc., U.S.A. is the
manufacturer of the iPhone model A1241. The equipment is
categorized as GSM (global system for mobile
communications)/WCDMA (wireband code division multiple
access) phone with bluetooth and WLAN. The frequency
range for WLAN and Bluetooth is at 2400-2483.5
Megahertz.
The
certificate can be cancelled if the operation of the
equipment causes harmful interference to existing
authorized radio communications systems.
Globe
had signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone
to the Philippines. As such, Globe will be among the
first mobile phone firms in Asia to officially carry
Apple’s popular iPhone handset.
“We are
very excited to be working with Apple to bring Filipino
consumers iPhone 3G later this year,” said Globe
president Gerardo Ablaza. “Our customers are our
greatest passion and we’re constantly striving to offer
them the most innovative products such as the
revolutionary iPhone 3G,” Ablaza was earlier quoted as
saying.
Globe is
banking on its iPhone 3G and WiMax deployments to fuel
growth in the second semester after it said that it does
not expect to match last year’s revenue performance.
“Improvements in top-line growth expected in second
half. However, full year growth outlook at low
single-digit rate,” it said.
Globe’s
first half service revenues were about two percent down
to P31.1 billion, and its first half net income fell
three percent to P6.21 billion from January to June this
year.
The
company, which has 38 percent of the mobile phone
market, recorded 22.7 million mobile phone subscribers
in the first semester. |
