Source = SunStar
Saturday, November 22, 2008
PLDT expects more broadband users as PCs become less costly
THE increasing popularity of broadband, coupled by the influx of affordable PC hardware, is feeding the optimist outlook of the DSL team of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) for next year despite the global financial crisis.
Even though the information technology sector noted a low PC penetration rate in the Philippines, the PLDT DSL group is still confident that the entry of cheaper but sophisticated computers like netbooks would boost their campaign in pushing for broadband Internet connection in the country.
“The lowering of the prices of PC hardware and the growing appreciation for broadband would spell the explosion for broadband next year. We’re projecting that next year will be the biggest year for broadband,” said Gary Dujali, PLDT assistant vice-president and category head for DSL.
Broadband refers to the high-capacity, two-way link between an end user and the Internet. An example would be DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) that allows users to have an Internet connection while using regular phone lines.
In an interview with reporters last Thursday, Dujali said he noticed a growing number of subscribers for PLDT DSL monthly, encouraging the company to target one million subscribers for PLDT myDSL next year.
At the end of 2007, there were 264,000 PLDT broadband subscribers in the country. This grew to 388,000 at the end of the first nine months of 2008, according to the company’s November press statement that contains its unaudited financial results for the first nine months this year.
PLDT DSL generated P3.9 billion in revenues for the first nine months of 2008, up 41 percent from P2.8 billion in the same period in 2007.
Dujali said Cebu is, by far, the city with the biggest number of PLDT DSL subscribers compared to other cities like Makati and Quezon.
He declined to give Cebu’s share of their subscriber base but said that the province has more than 50 percent market share for DSL.
“Moms are the key to this growing appreciation for broadband, (especially) when they approve of the subscription plan and mode of payment like including it in their monthly bill. So we reach out and establish relationships with them,” he said.
To help double its DSL subscriber base in 2009, PLDT myDSL partnered with PC dealers and vendors in Cebu like Accent Micro, NGenius, PC Express and Thinking Tools so that consumers can avail of desktops or laptops at lower prices and with free DSL.
“We’re changing the way we do business now. There is nothing wrong with a customer coming to our business center to apply for a DSL connection. But consumers
nowadays want things right away. Through this, he can already avail of a PC and a DSL at the same time without having to line up,” said Dujali.
PLDT myDSL offers bundled packages like Plans 990 (with a speed of up to 384 kilobytes per second or kbps), 1299 (up to 512 kbps), 999 (up to 1 megabytes per second or Mbps), 1995 (up to 2 Mbps), and 3000 (up to 3 Mbps).
In promos that run until December this year and January 2009, these plans come with free first month subscription, free installation, and free PLDT to PLDT NDD calls for a year. Dujali said that these promos and campaign comprise part of the team’s preparation for 2009.
“We are just making it simple and convenient for the consumers and at the same time we don’t want to limit their choices,” said Dujali, adding that this is what sets PLDT apart from the competition.
He cited a latest independent study that placed PLDT myDSL as the most preferred service out of all the broadband providers, with the level of preference three times higher than its closest competitor.
Acknowledging that Cebu plays a “crucial” role in intensifying its subscriber base, PLDT launched last Thursday at Club Vudu in Crossroads,
Cebu City a new campaign in Cebu that features model Nikki Taylor. (NRC)
Cebu is, by far, the city with the biggest number of PLDT DSL subscribers
Originally Posted by COMCAM
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