In effect, you will be extending your PhP 15 to PhP 50 + PhP 6.50×5 (since each voice minute costs PhP 6.50), for a total of PhP 82.50.

I’m not using Immortal Call, though, since I’ve activated Super DUO last month (now since lapsed, but will activate it again soon, before my local number expires). But I do think that Globe’s per-second charging (using the “232” prefix instead of “0”) may actually be cheaper at PhP 0.10 per second, given my telephone calling habits, which rarely go a few seconds each call. Therefore I prefer the Immortal TXT service. But if you’re a heavier caller, then Immortal Call + would be cheap, at PhP 1 per minute.

But the big issue here is interconnectivity with several networks. For one, I can rarely connect to PLDT landline numbers. This can be very debilitating, since calling PLDT landlines was okay before activation of Super Duo (since this is billed as a regular call from one’s Globe number). But after activation, you effectively lose calling capability to PLDT landlines. Rare exceptions include midnight to the wee hours of the morning. Calling during daytime? Forget it.

Another small issue is calling from Bayantel phones. You get a busy tone, and you get connected after two to three tries. No big issue if you only expect personal calls, but to business users, this can be a deal breaker.

Now I’m not sure if this is only isolated to prepaid subscriptions. I hear that postpaid users are not as badly affected. Maybe that’s the premium one gets with a postpaid subscription. But with Globe heavily marketing their prepaid services such as Tattoo, SuperDuo and the like, they better be sure they have the capacity to service demand.

The bigger issue here is interconnection among the networks. I’m aware that telcos charge each other for each SMS or voice minute. But the charging framework has changed dramatically with the introduction of “unlimited” calling schemes, like the so-called “wireless landline” capability of mobile phones. If we’re going back to the dark ages of walled-garden communications, then we’re screwed. Remember the olden days when Smart subscribers could only text to Smart, and Globe within Globe?

Maybe this is just a honeymoon phase, and things will turn out better. I’m hoping that in the long run, interconnection among telcos would normalize. Things are getting cheaper and cheaper, anyway, and maybe they need to look for alternative business models (rather than charge interconnection fees), in line with the changing trends.

I, myself, use PLDT Landline Plus, which I keep plugged into my trusty ol’ Nokia 1112, and which I use for calling fixed lines while on the move.

But I think I may be switching to Globe’s Super DUO soon. It’s probably more practical, since I use Globe prepaid as my primary mobile number. Globe also upgraded DUO to Super Duo with one great feature. Instead of giving you unlimited calling capability only to landlines within your locality, you can also call other Globe and Touch Mobile phones anywhere in the country with no extra per-minute charge.

Wha’ts even better is that Super DUO is now available to all Globe subscribers, postpaid or prepaid. Previously, when the original DUO was introduced as a prepaid service, it was a bit expensive (P700 per 28 days), and was only available to DUO-enabled SIMs, which you had to purchase. Now anyone can sign up just by texting SUPERDUO (plus some keywords) to 8888. It’s also more affordable at P599 for 30 days.

To activate the service, you would have to text the following keywords to 8888.

SUPERDUO [area] [plan]

Areas include the following:

• MM for Metro Manila


• CEB for Cebu


• TAG for Bohol


• ROX for Capiz

You have two choices for a plan:

• 35 for P35, which is good for one day


• 599 for P599, which is good for 30 days.

I’ll be trying out this service soon. My primary concern is whether it interconnects well with other networks like Bayantel, PLDT, and the like. That’s one of my biggest gripes with my PLDT Wireless landline. I can’t seem to make outgoing calls to Bayantel.

I’ll post a preview and a review soon.

My rationale here is that it’s cheaper in the long run, and we’re assured that whichever phone we load the card on will not suddenly find its credits being eaten up due to expiry.

But with Globe’s new Immortal Txt, I find it reasonable to load up with any credit denomination. You are effectively expanding your prepaid credit this way.

For instance, you text IMMORTAL10 to 8888. PhP 10 load will be deducted from your prepaid credit, plus PhP 1 processing fee. This, in turn, will be converted to 50 free SMS to Globe and Touch Mobile, plus 10 free SMS to other networks.

So effectively, you pay PhP 1 to get PhP 50 more free credits. What’s great here is that the free SMS credits don’t expire. As long as you have a maintaining balance of PhP 1, you can use these credits to send SMS within Globe/TM or other networks. And from what I understand, even if you reach zero balance, you can just reload and you can pick up from where you left.

That’s a steal, isn’t it? I think this is a better deal for light to moderate users than unlimited texting schemes, in which one feels forced to use the unlimited credits within a day.

The only catch with schemes like these, of course, is that you can no longer use the equivalent amount for calls. But you can always use your regular credits for that. And when your “immortal” credits are running low, just convert PhP 10 again, and effectively stretch your ten pesos into being fifty-nine pesos.

I’ve been using Globe Telecom’s new time-based charging system for data. I only get to pay PhP 5 per 15-minutes, which is comparable to Smart’s PhP 10 per 30 minutes charging system. Globe seems cheap enough, but there’s a catch.

To recap, Globe has two data charging schemes:

KB Browsing Rate

This kind of charging is best for info-based browsing like browsing for the latest news or movie schedules, searching online dictionaries and checking sports stats. Since you are charged only P0.15/kb, a search for the definition to a puzzling word would only cost P2.30 while checking that movie schedule would only cost about P1.62.

Time Browsing Rate

This charging scheme is best used for multimedia-based activities like sending and receiving files through email or even viewing pictures and videos. All these are done more affordably when you use Time Charging at P5 for 15minutes.

My big gripe with Globe’s rate is that the charge is per 15-minute session. This means if your connection is broken for any reason, and you connect again, you would have to pay another PhP 5 for another 15 minutes. This is unlike Smart’s flat rate charging, where you get charged a single PhP 10 for the whole 30-minute duration, no matter how many times you connect or disconnect.

Globe’s system has many disadvantages. For one, if you’re connecting via 3G or even HSDPA (a.k.a. 3.5G), your phone would usually automatically adjust speed according to the available network signal. Depending on signal strength and availability of the data carrier, you can change connections across GPRS, EDGE, 3G, and HSDPA.. So if you move in and out of a 3G-enabled cell site, in all likelihood, your connection would be considered broken and re-connected.

A tip: watch your signal meter while connected. For Nokia phones, indicators would include 3.5G, 3G, G, or E (for EDGE).

Secondly, you might have several applications on your mobile phone that need to connect and reconnect, in case you switch apps. For example, Nokia’s XHTML browsers might automatically disconnect upon exit. Or if you launch an IM client (which, by the way, doesn’t work on Globe), you might find yourself having to pay another PhP 5 for a new session.

Or, perhaps you receive a call or SMS in the middle of your data connection. In these cases, the packet data connection is usually paused or broken. And since a reconnection would be considered a new session, there goes your PhP 5 again.

In my opinion, Smart’s charging system is simply smarter. It’s truly a flat-rate charging scheme, whereas Globe’s is more complicated. While PhP 5 seems cheaper than PhP 10 (especially when you just need to check a few tidbits of information at a time), it might turn out more expensive in the long run. With Smart, one gets no worries about being double-charged. It’s really as simple as PhP 10 per 30 minutes.

And I’m not even talking about Internet protocols yet (in which Globe only supports port 80 or Web). But that’s another story.

At least I get to use my phone’s data capabilities practically free when at home or when at any public hotspot. I use WiFi! The phone even lets me make and receive VoIP calls via SIP, Google Talk or Skype. (Review coming soon.)

I got an invitation to attend the launch party of this yet-undisclosed (as of that time) telco, but I wasn’t able to attend. Turns out it was ü Mobile, and they had launched an innovative (relatively) mobile service, which lets users get free credits for receiving advertisements.

The service seems to be exclusive, though, as they are targeting the 15- to 35-year old demographic. That’s understood, given the need to target advertisements. And perhaps we can assume that if you’re over 35, you probably don’t have the patience to read ads; or perhaps you have enough disposable income that you would prefer to pay for services rather than get freebies.

And so I got a call the other day from ü Mobile telling me they are sending over a SIM card. I got the SIM this morning, and excitedly plugged it into my Nokia 1112. After several attempts to make calls and send SMS, I gave up. I had a hunch that the service only worked over 3G networks, which i confirmed after calling customer service.

It’s a bit disappointing, since the ü Mobile network supposedly ran over Smart’s network. So ideally it should work both on the UMTS and GSM networks. I did have a spare 3G-enabled phone I could use the SIM on, but it was locked to Smart. Even if ü Mobile were a Smart brand, I still couldn’t use it because of the locks (while other Smart brands like Talk n Text and Addict Mobile can be used on Smart-locked phones).

Easiest option for now would be to plug the SIM into my E51 (review to follow), but then being my main mobile (for use with both business and personal calls and text, IM’ing and VoIP) I would rather not.

Or, I could have my LG KU250 unlocked, but it would void warranty. Or perhaps I could acquire another (unlocked) 3G-enabled mobile, but this would be a truly unnecessary expense.

My ü Mobile SIM would have to wait, then. Ah, the lost advertising opportunities.

Last month I got so excited about the PLDT Wireless landine SIM that Jepoy sent me. I wanted to see for myself how “wireless landlines” fared. And what made PLDT Landline Plus attractive was that you can plug the SIM card into any GSM phone. No need to purchase a phone based on other technologies (i.e., CDMA).

However, my expectations were not met.

Signal was good. Registering for a monthly prepaid plan was simple enough. And voice quality is generally OK. My biggest gripe is the interconnection with other networks, namely BayanTel.

I know I’m considered to be a BayanTel loyalist, as I’ve often reviewed their services here, and I’ve been a BayanTel subscriber for more than ten years now. Our home landline (and that of my folks’) is BayanTel-provided, and guess what: with the PLDT wireless landline, calling BayanTel phones is really a bother. You would not only have to redial once, but in many cases, your call would never push through even after many tries. In my case I don’t even get a “network busy” signal or message. My phone just disconnects after trying to dial a Bayantel number.

Receiving calls from Bayantel and other landline networks is not a problem, though. I can receive calls fine from any landline. But it seems impossible for mobile phones try to call PLDT wireless landline numbers.

And the promised text messaging system is still not in place. Even PLDT-to-PLDT.

In mobility and telecoms, interconnectivity is the name of the game. I remember the mid 1990’s, when PLDT was still the dominant telecoms provider, interconnectivity was such a big issue. And the new entrants’ (e.g., Bayantel, Globe, Digitel) survival largely depended on whether their users could call PLDT users and vice-versa. This was the same when SMS started to become popular.

I’m not sure if the problem is on PLDT’s or Bayantel’s side, but if “wireless” landline providers want to succeed in the market, then they better work on this fast!

There are various reasons why the Philippines is called the texting capital of the world. For one, text messaging is cheaper than voice calls (at least in the country). Secondly, Filipinos are known not to be a bit on the shy side when it comes to communicating. So we would rather text than call because the impersonal nature of texting serves as a veil between the communicants—one doesn’t have to worry about emotions or reactions. And for the forgetful ones like myself, I like keeping info (or agreements!) in my SMS inbox, so I won’t forget.

The recent upsurge of “wireless landline” services, however, goes to show that telcos are tapping that unused capacity of their networks in bringing about a new service—something I would call a “hybrid” one, but something that others may consider bordering on marketing gimmick.

Until recently, wireless landline services had to be exclusively subscribed-to, and required exclusive handsets. Some networks even use systems that are not same as the most widely used standard here, which is GSM. Bayantel, for one, uses CDMA. And until recently, using wireless landline services meant using a full-sized telephone apparatus, complete with the wired handset and the base with antenna. Portable, true. But one might look silly walking around at the mall speaking into what looks like a wired landline phone (at least that was what I thought when the service first came out a year ago).

But then the candybar-type handsets came to be popular, also. These were as portable as your usual mobile phone, but without the limitation of per-minute charged calls.

And for about a year after wireless landline services were introduced, these were usually postpaid plans with unlimited outgoing calls and SMS messages. But now the trend is going towards prepaid.

Hands on with PLDT’s wireless landline service

So I’ve wanted one for the longest time. My wife preferred the large apparatus type unit (if ever we were to go for one). But we didn’t feel the need for it yet. So it was way below our to-do / to-acquire list. But I got an offer from fellow blogger Jepoy, who was giving out prepaid PLDT Landline Plus SIM cards.

What was really great about the PLDT service was that it was no longer limited to specialized handsets. One could acquire a PLDT Landline Plus Prepaid SIM card, plug it into any GSM phone (Smart locked or unlocked), and voila! You have service!

I got my SIM card in the mail this afternoon (after much anticipation through the weekend) and tried it out. Here are some photos and my initial thoughts.

• The service functions much like a regular prepaid GSM subscription, albeit a basic one. There’s caller ID, but there are not much bells and whisltes (like wireless Internet, call waiting, call forwarding, etc.)
• Voice quality is good—I would expect this of the Smart network. It does have an echo sometimes, though.
• Coverage is good so far. I would expect this of Smart, too.
• Interconnectivity is good, so far. From my Bayantel landline at home, I could connect 100% of the time. Other reviewers, though, say that interconnectivity is iffy at about 75%.

I tried the SIM on my LG KU250 (the one stolen and recovered). And for one to use a “wireless landline” SIM on such a phone would be overkill, as Max Limpag would say. The data connectivity features of the phone would just be put to waste. So later this week I’m off to get myself a cheapo basic phone (much like what I use as my main phone).

I had no problems activating the SIM from my home office. Jepoy says you need to be in an area where the Smart cell site is already upgraded to handle PLDT wireless landline activation. No problem on my end, though.

Jepoy posts a comparison between two of the more popular prepaid wireless landline services here. I’m a loyal Bayantel user, so I initially wanted to get a Bayantel wireless landline phone. But then I would have to purchase a new handset altogether (which is incompatible with the rest of the country’s networks), and a dedicated SIM. The advantage, though, is that Bayantel has per-call charging, while PLDT’s is per-minute. But that’s for outgoing calls. Knowing how ingenious we can be at penny pinching, many users would probably just use the outgoing calls to ask the other end to call back.

Then again, as earlier mentioned, the telcos may have just found a really smart way to extend the use of their existing networks by marketing the service as a “wireless landline” service, when they could, in fact, just introduce cellular plans that are more focused on cheap voice calls rather than text.

I’ll be road testing this service soon, so watch out for more insights.

Enter Smart 3G / GPRS, with PhP 10 per 30-minute charging, and I found it was a good backup system when I’m in areas without decent (or free) WiFi coverage. At least this could work with prepaid, and I won’t be locked into long-term contracts.

Sure it’s not blazingly fast. You max out at 384 Kbps. But considering you’re mobile (and not likely downloading Gigabytes and Gigabytes of files), I think that’s sufficient. Works okay with VoIP and even video chatting.

Smart Bro Anywhere

Smart recently introduced an “anywhere Internet” plan under their Smart Bro brand. Thing is, the introductory marketing material said you get 60 hours for PhP 799 a month. So that’s about PhP 13 per 30 minutes, or approximately a 40% savings over prepaid. In excess of that you pay the usual rates of PhP 10 per 30 minutes.

Thing is, I talked to a marketing rep earlier today, and she clarified that the initial announcement was wrong. They give you 40 hours for the PhP 799 plan. that means you still pay the equivalent of PhP 10 per 30 minutes, but with a one-peso saving per month.

So instead of spending about PhP 800 for the same amount of online time (i.e., at PhP 20 per hour), you spend PhP 799.

40 HOURS FREE per MONTH!

• Initial Payment – P1,999 (upon subscription)


• Monthly Fee – P799 only


• In excess of 40 hours will be charged P10 per block of 30 minutes.

I would rather stick to my prepaid plan, considering I’ve already bought myself an LG KU250 to serve as a 3G modem. The KU250 is affordable enough at PhP 6,000. That’s cheap for a 3G-enabled phone (cheap on the price, but I think the value exceeds my expectations).

Now the advantage of this Smart Bro plan is you get the Huawei USB modem for just PhP 1,999 (whereas the modem sells for upwards of PhP 10,000 outside of this subsidy). That in itself makes it worth to subscribe to Smart Bro with this USB plan.

Still, one advantage with my using my 3G phone to use as modem, I have one advantage—I can surf without opening my laptop (or ultraportable computer, as is the case with the Asus Eee). I can just open Opera Mini and work from there. Of course, this is just for those emergency cases where I really need to connect, but don’t have the luxury of sitting down somewhere to open my laptop.

So, what do you think? Is the Smart Bro USB plan worth it?

I’ve always had this fascination for answering machines. I love how you could record wacky messages for your callers (like Hello … Hello … Please leave a message.). I dig how you could monitor calls before actually answering (even if you have caller ID this is really fun). It’s cool how you could call in from a remote location to check if anyone left messages.

Most of all, I’m really fascinated with how people talk when there’s nobody at the other end of the line.

Two-way interaction is normal. You talk, the other person reacts. It’s even a whole different thing when you’re talking in person than when you’re just on the phone. After all, communication is mostly body language and tone. The actual content of the message is just a small part of what you get to communicate.

It’s helluva lot different when you’re recording a message and talking to no one on the other line. It feels weird. It’s like holding a video camera to your face, recording a message. You try to imagine someone is at the other end. But no one’s there.

Or at least that’s how I feel. And I would think that’s how most of my callers feel.

My answering machine hasn’t met much action in the four months it’s been installed. It has recorded something in the likes of a couple of dozen messages. And the legitimate ones I could probably just count with my fingers. Most just hang up (I know who you are! I have you on CID!).

I don’t think we’re much of an answering machine culture.

You see it often in the western TV shows and films. People like leaving messages on answering machines (or voicemail as some would prefer). But leaving voicemail seems too confrontational. It’s like saying hey you weren’t there so here’s what I have to say. And Filipinos are not too confrontational. And we probably feel downright weird monologuing.

We’re more of a texting culture. We probably prefer to text rather than call because we can escape the responsibility of actually relaying a message other than the words that we speak or write (and it’s cheaper, too). But the message then becomes bland. There is no body language. There are no intonations. There’s just words flashing out of a small screen.

Same with email. Probably same with IM.

I know it’s a serious caller—or rather a caller with an important/serious/interesting message—when he or she really takes the time to leave a message. Even if the voice message seems incoherent, or the English (or Tagalog) is bad, or the background is noisy, it’s all right with me. The point is that the person tried to reach me (or anyone here at my place), and in the absence of human response, he still tries to at least inform me that he would like to talk.

For more useless reading about the answering machine culture, check out these great finds. Old (and longish), but still interesting.