Tags: Internet, Mobile Phone Industry, Technology Industry, Telecommunications
By Alexander Villafania
PASAY CITY, METRO MANILA – Amid a slow growth in revenues from traditional short messaging and voice calls, new services that provide rich content are among the big revenue areas that telecommunications firm Globe Telecom sees growing in the mobile broadband Internet space in the Philippines.
In particular, content with video are expected to increase in demand in the mobile Internet segment. This is largely due to tremendous demand among Filipino users to watch videos, be it their favorite telenovela or news feeds.
Peter Bithos, Senior Adviser for Globe Telecom’s Consumer Business Division said that Filipinos are a particularly huge market for rich content. Given that more smartphones are becoming cheaper to purchase, the opportunities become ever more present to deliver more advanced mobile services beyond SMS and voice services.
With growth of social network usage on mobile devices, Bithos stressed that people will find new ways to use their smartphones, which depends on the kind of service that is being offered.
“It is becoming more affordable to buy mobile phones but it is also becoming apparent for many users to find out how their devices can make their lives even more entertaining and also productive. It’s interesting to note that Filipinos will find ways to communicate and consume information and smartphones are just about the devices that they need,” Bithos said.
Jil Go, head of Digital Services from Globe Telecom’s Digital Media Division, emphasized on the company’s plans to include more rich content in their newly enhanced 4G infrastructure. She said they are in talks with other content providers to build a number of services that will be rolled out along with the deployment of their new upgraded 4G infrastructure.
Globe’s 4G infrastructure is based on the HSDPA+ (evolved high speed data packet access) network, which has a data transfer rate of up to 84 megabits per second (Mbps) for download and 22 Mbps upload. Globe’s HSDPA+ when tested allows for up to 5.5 Mbps.
In addition, the new USB HSPA+ antenna for their desktop and laptop users has been branded with the Lamborghini Troni sports car.
One of the services they have launched with the new infrastructure is the Philippine-enhanced VMS (video messaging service), which is an application available to Android phone users, in partnership with the local office of mobile applications firm Ironroad.
The VMS allows users to send video messages from their phones and send it to other mobile phone users. The service is currently for Globe users only. It will also include short clips of shows and news reports from broadcast TV firm GMA-7.
Go said the VMS is currently offered for free but will eventually have premium services as new content is provided.
Nicole Xavier, Ironroad Philippines President, said that one of the key features of the VMS is to allow various types of content to be delivered to specific user segments. She said that one of the interesting aspects of the mobile phone audience is the length of stay for each video.
“Usually, they stay only for about 2-3 minutes and that is exactly the type of content we can deliver. There is a potential market for such content in the Philippines,” Xavier said.
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