Saturday, September 27, 2008 PLDT Global inks pact with Italy's Hutchison
EXPLORING further the potential of overseas market, leading telecommunications provider PLDT Global and its subsidiary PLDT Italy S.r.l. have forged an agreement with Hutchison Global Communication and H3G S.p.A for the operation of mobile network venture in Italy.
PLDT said the partnership combines the best mobile services in the Philippines and in Italy and should bring an exceptional mobile experience to the Filipino community in Italy.
The partnership would cover service offers like electronic loading and sharing of prepaid airtime credits as well as the popular services in Italy. Among these are video calling and video streaming.
The new mobile phone service will set new standards for relevant quality services that address the needs of Filipinos in Italy.
Records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed that Italy is host to over 200,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Branded as "Smart Pinoy," the new MVNO service will offer affordable rates for international calls and SMS from Italy to the Philippines.
"In the future, Smart Pinoy will also provide the most efficient remittance service via use of the mobile phone. The service also aims to help bridge the distance between Filipinos in Italy and their families and friends in the Philippines by providing a reliable and cost-effective means of keeping in touch," PLDT said.
PLDT Global is the international sales and marketing arm of PLDT, the Philippines leading telecommunications group.
In 2004, PLDT launched in Hong Kong the MVNO called 1528 Smart.
The 1528 Smart is now the leading service provider among Filipinos in Hong Kong, amid a field of seven operators in the Special Administrative Region.
Aside from Hong Kong, PLDT also recently launched in Singapore the MVNO, also branded "Smart Pinoy," strong second in a field of three mobile operators and two MVNO players in the city-state.
Hutchison Global Communications owns and operates an extensive fibre-to-the-building telecommunications network in Hong Kong while H3G S.p.A operates as a mobile media company that offers media services, information, and telephony services enabling live video calls, multimedia content, and entertainment in Italy.
Both companies are members of the Hutchison Whampoa, Ltd. (HWL) group, a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
HWL is an international corporation with a diverse array of holdings, which includes telecommunications, property development and infrastructure, among others. (MSN/Sunnex)
