Pinoy Buzz: PLDT

Smart posts “clear leadership” vs Globe in LTE speeds nationwide - OpenSignal

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the wireless communications and digital services subsidiary of PLDT, is increasing its lead in LTE (4G) speeds nationwide, according to the latest crowd-sourced data gathered by wireless coverage research firm OpenSignal.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKaS0BVBOVJgT4XJ-LMwJTJAUz8JUDitGBcoagmp9CeXwUUwNUae68pZK9VPKn0uCrtD5GApyVxvYj-HCCHTQdX4wXIi0xrCScfMXuBC6YLnbMZzSWoAzuz7Jc5nyBb75N5FanhDESLnq/s1600/smart-globe-lte-signal-speed-report-2018.png" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Smart posts “clear leadership” vs Globe in LTE speeds nationwide - OpenSignal" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="757" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKaS0BVBOVJgT4XJ-LMwJTJAUz8JUDitGBcoagmp9CeXwUUwNUae68pZK9VPKn0uCrtD5GApyVxvYj-HCCHTQdX4wXIi0xrCScfMXuBC6YLnbMZzSWoAzuz7Jc5nyBb75N5FanhDESLnq/s1600/smart-globe-lte-signal-speed-report-2018.png" title="Smart posts “clear leadership” vs Globe in LTE speeds nationwide - OpenSignal" /></a></div><br />In a report, Smart posted what it called “clear leadership” in LTE across the country, with nationwide average LTE download speeds of 11.7 Mbps (vs. 7.3 Mbps of Globe). The results covered the months of September to November.<br /><br />Smart also dominated all measured areas, with 13.2 Mbps in National Capital Region (NCR)/Metro Manila, 7.7 Mbps in the Visayas, and 12.1 Mbps in South Luzon, compared with Globe which, based on the results, registered speeds of 8.2 Mbps, 6.8 Mbps and 6.3 Mbps, respectively.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><style type="text/css">.tg  {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;border-color:#ccc;}.tg td{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#ccc;color:#333;background-color:#fff;}.tg th{font-family:Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:normal;padding:10px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#ccc;color:#333;background-color:#f0f0f0;}.tg .tg-baqh{text-align:center;vertical-align:top}.tg .tg-amwm{font-weight:bold;text-align:center;vertical-align:top}.tg .tg-dzk6{background-color:#f9f9f9;text-align:center;vertical-align:top}@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {.tg {width: auto !important;}.tg col {width: auto !important;}.tg-wrap {overflow-x: auto;-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch;}}</style><br /><div class="tg-wrap"><table class="tg"><tbody><tr>     <th class="tg-amwm">Area</th>     <th class="tg-amwm">Smart (Mbps)</th>     <th class="tg-amwm">Globe (Mbps)</th>   </tr><tr>     <td class="tg-dzk6">NCR</td>     <td class="tg-dzk6">13.2</td>     <td class="tg-dzk6">8.2</td>   </tr><tr>     <td class="tg-baqh">South Luzon</td>     <td class="tg-baqh">12.1</td>     <td class="tg-baqh">6.3</td>   </tr><tr>     <td class="tg-dzk6">North Luzon</td>     <td class="tg-dzk6">Not revealed</td>     <td class="tg-dzk6">Not revealed</td>   </tr><tr>     <td class="tg-baqh">Visayas</td>     <td class="tg-baqh">7.7</td>     <td class="tg-baqh">6.8</td>   </tr><tr>     <td class="tg-dzk6">Mindanao</td>     <td class="tg-dzk6">Not revealed</td>     <td class="tg-dzk6">Not revealed</td>   </tr><tr>     <td class="tg-amwm">Average</td>     <td class="tg-amwm">11.7</td>     <td class="tg-amwm">7.3</td>   </tr></tbody></table></div><br />In terms of coverage, the latest results showed significant improvements in both 3G and LTE availability, with double-digit year-on-year improvements registered for LTE coverage in Metro Manila, Southern Luzon and the Visayas. Nationwide, Smart’s LTE availability improved from 35.86% in the January 2017 report to 58.07%, the report said.<br /><br />In parallel, Smart 3G coverage also improved across the areas measured, with nationwide 3G availability improving from 67.89% to 74.45%.<br /><br />The OpenSignal results were corroborated by recent internal tests, which showed better download speeds in Southern Luzon. Median download speeds of 18.5 Mbps were posted in Quezon province, while speeds of 17.1 Mbps were recorded in Batangas.<br /><br />In Metro Manila, recent internal tests in Parañaque, for example, recorded median LTE download speeds of 17.9 Mbps, while median download speeds of 27.6 Mbps were posted in Caloocan. In Taguig, Smart LTE posted median download speeds of 18.6 Mbps.<br /><br />LTE speeds in Cebu, meanwhile, averaged 24 Mbps, while LTE speeds in Davao were at 34 Mbps on average, also based on recent internal tests.<br /><br />Smart expects to fulfill ahead of schedule its commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission to cover over 90% of the country’s cities and municipalities with mobile broadband using LTE and 3G by 2019.<br /><br />LTE is the best technology to help bring fast, affordable, and reliable internet services to as many customers as possible.<br /><br /><b>— The Summit Express</b></div>

Smart posts “clear leadership” vs Globe in LTE speeds nationwide - OpenSignal

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the wireless communications and digital services subsidiary of PLDT, is increasing...

Smart to complete roll-out of 4,200 LTE sites nationwide by end-2017

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - As 2017 comes to a close, PLDT wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is expected to complete the upgrade of more than 4,200 3G and LTE sites nationwide as part of its network modernization effort.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN62uYsvS-vbST6xKJHqZPQWqLbGhuvFbHPYiPYhgkSKXGIkKu5e8jDIT9uyb2CVkFwAqKRaqmEn9GwI9HVLPHN0_Vd34WcdhZTmbLnufseKcIXWsNfzXxnStmq8MA0sk3_Tah9EeHQj6_/s1600/SMART-LTE-nationwide-2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Smart to complete roll-out of 4,200 LTE sites nationwide by end-2017" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="715" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN62uYsvS-vbST6xKJHqZPQWqLbGhuvFbHPYiPYhgkSKXGIkKu5e8jDIT9uyb2CVkFwAqKRaqmEn9GwI9HVLPHN0_Vd34WcdhZTmbLnufseKcIXWsNfzXxnStmq8MA0sk3_Tah9EeHQj6_/s1600/SMART-LTE-nationwide-2017.jpg" title="Smart to complete roll-out of 4,200 LTE sites nationwide by end-2017" /></a></div><br />“Our commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is to meet 90% municipality coverage next year for 3G and 4G mobile broadband, and we are well on-track to meet this,” said Joachim Horn, chief technology and information advisor for PLDT and Smart.<br /><br />“We are already at about 89%, so we will definitely meet that target early next year,” Horn added.<br /><br />For the past year, Smart has stepped-up its mobile data roll-out significantly, particularly for LTE. “This year, we more than doubled the number of sites which are capable of LTE,” said Horn, citing as an example Metro Manila, where about 90% of sites already have LTE.<br /><br />Improvements are already being felt throughout Metro Manila. Recent internal tests in Parañaque, for example, recorded median LTE download speeds of 17.9 Mbps and median upload speeds of 12 Mbps, while median download and upload speeds of 27.6 Mbps and 16.1 Mbps, respectively, were posted in Caloocan. In Taguig, Smart LTE posted median download speeds of 18.6 Mbps, while median upload speeds were at 13.7 Mbps.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br /><b>A second wave of upgrades</b><br /><br />Horn also cited “a second wave of upgrades” for Smart’s LTE sites—four-component carrier aggregation, or 4CC. “We already tried this in Boracay, and we have just completed the upgrade of Marikina, where we have upgraded all base stations with 4-carrier aggregation,” said Horn. “The benefit for the customer is much higher capacity, and much higher speeds. So if you go to Marikina, you will easily be able to achieve more than 100 Mbps—on your phone,” he added.<br /><br />“We are starting in Marikina, but our intention is to roll this out in Metro Manila in steps. And the next area is Quezon City,” said Horn.<br /><br />“Carrier Aggregation” (CA) allows for the combination two or more radio frequency bands in order to deliver bigger bandwidth and much faster data speeds to mobile users. 4CC aggregation features the combination of four separate spectrum blocks to deliver much greater capacity and speeds.<br /><br />Horn stressed that users need to be using 4CC-capable devices and LTE SIMs to be able to fully enjoy 4CC speeds.<br /><br />Earlier this year, Smart activated 4CC in Boracay, reaching average speeds of 280 Mbps in initial runs using Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, 4CC carrier aggregation-capable smartphones available in the market.<br /><br />After the initial deployment of 4CC technology in Metro Manila, Smart’s internal tests showed consistent delivery of speeds breaching 300 Mbps in a single-user scenario, and over 200 Mbps in a multi-user, daytime set-up.<br /><br />“This only goes to show that we have put in place a network that is capable of providing these high speeds,” Horn said.<br /><br />Smart has finished its LTE deployment in Metro Davao and Metro Cebu, in the island of Boracay, and in the province of Rizal. It is currently underway in Metro Manila and in key cities in other parts of the country.<br /><br />Smart is also partnering with device vendors in providing more affordable LTE-capable smartphones in the market, as well as actively urging its customers to upgrade to LTE SIMs so they can maximize the Smart’s LTE network. It recently launched an LTE SIM check via SMS program, where customers can text SIMCHECK to 5832 to check if their SIMS are LTE-capable already or not.<br /><br /><b>— The Summit Express</b></div>

Smart to complete roll-out of 4,200 LTE sites nationwide by end-2017

MANILA, Philippines - As 2017 comes to a close, PLDT wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is expected to complete the upgrade of ...

Bonifacio Global City is now PLDT Fibr-powered SmartCity

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Leading telecoms and digital services provider PLDT has recently completed its program to roll out fiber-powered broadband facilities in the Bonifacio Global City (BGC), a thriving business and residential center in Taguig City, providing its residents with Fibr-fast internet speeds.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNG4BP4gh9GXtM447QgHfbBxLi0jygQeSWXnbmRVGsDsU0v2TWa-taR0PKmY4oYUE-8nHqCc9GqV2rXqzgvFVE7568eG9si1bqQSlfDBX9DzmH-YDmIbV-ZRDsSdF11dGAGJwYZ2GRTeK/s1600/bgc.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bonifacio Global City is now PLDT Fibr-powered SmartCity" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNG4BP4gh9GXtM447QgHfbBxLi0jygQeSWXnbmRVGsDsU0v2TWa-taR0PKmY4oYUE-8nHqCc9GqV2rXqzgvFVE7568eG9si1bqQSlfDBX9DzmH-YDmIbV-ZRDsSdF11dGAGJwYZ2GRTeK/s1600/bgc.jpg" title="Bonifacio Global City is now PLDT Fibr-powered SmartCity" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Bonifacio Global City. (Mjdiamzon/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table>All residential buildings in BGC are now Fibr-powered by PLDT HOME. Among these buildings are One Serendra, Two Serendra, Bellagio One, Two and Three, Arya Residences, The Icon Residences, The Beaufort, One McKinley Place, 8 Forbestown Road, Essensa East Forbes, Pacific Plaza Towers, and all upcoming residential buildings in BGC such as the Grand Hyatt Manila Residences, Uptown Parksuites, High Street South Block’s One and Two Maridien, and Verve Residence Towers, East Gallery Place, West Gallery Place, and the Park Triangle Towers.<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>“As a cosmopolitan community, BGC residents have a strong demand for high-speed broadband given their digitally-driven lifestyles. PLDT HOME Fibr fulfills this demand,” </i>said PLDT FVP and Head of Home Business Marco Borlongan.</blockquote><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />“BGC residents can now enjoy ultra-fast broadband speeds for lag-free browsing, gaming and streaming via the game-changing Roku Powered TVolution. This entertainment box offers Cignal TV, and over 100 streaming channels including Netflix, iflix, and YouTube. The powerful connection from PLDT HOME Fibr will also enable families to enjoy the benefits of PLDT’s SmartHome security devices such as the home monitoring system Fam Cam, the cyber security platform Fam Zone, and the multi-functional kiddie gadget Smart Watch. They can also now sign up for the country’s first-ever Whole Home WiFi service — the first intelligent Home Wi-Fi technology in the Philippines, designed to blanket the entire home with wireless connectivity,” Borlongan added. <br /><br />A former military base, BGC is now one of the country’s fastest-growing commercial business districts and residential communities. It is home to many of the country’s major industries and a preferred location for many global brands and foreign investors. BGC is also a popular cultural and leisure destination for city dwellers, with its open spaces, sports fields, parks, art installations, museums, cinemas and diverse array of dining options.<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>“PLDT Home Fibr is the future of broadband. With our aggressive nationwide fiber network roll-out, we are ushering in a future for Filipino families where world-class internet is accessible to everyone. Our network program for the year is on track and we will continue our mission to give more Filipinos access to high-speed broadband,”</i> said PLDT FVP and Head of Consumer Business for Market Development Oscar A. Reyes Jr.</blockquote><br />As of end-June, PLDT’s fiber facilities have passed 3.3 million homes. PLDT is expected to expand its Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) coverage to about four million homes passed by the end of 2017. It is also deploying hybrid technologies to allow existing customers connected via copper facilities to enjoy fiber-like speeds.<br /><br />PLDT has invested around P300 billion or nearly US$6 billion over the last decade to roll out the country’s most extensive fixed and wireless network infrastructure which now has 150,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables designed to support the Filipinos’ growing use of fixed and mobile data.<br /><br /><b>— The Summit Express</b></div>

Bonifacio Global City is now PLDT Fibr-powered SmartCity

MANILA, Philippines - Leading telecoms and digital services provider PLDT has recently completed its program to roll out fiber-powered broad...

Smart beats Globe in LTE speed across regions in PH – OpenSignal

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) continues to lead across all regions in terms of LTE speeds, according to the latest regional results collated by wireless coverage research firm OpenSignal, as announced on Thursday, October 19.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7c9CCzwNXE6jSAxhTX8cZRbZuLudgwUaGyOCKtjjC8G91t75phQIWuAntxrNiEy6zhOUIQGm-SF_EDiB_VQJZoga2uTbDb1Fb5t8VBELiQn9d1HkPuWOP-bplkn9ABi7YfY2Q4CWkzwK/s1600/smart-vs-globe-lte.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Smart beats Globe in LTE speed across regions in PH – OpenSignal" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="712" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7c9CCzwNXE6jSAxhTX8cZRbZuLudgwUaGyOCKtjjC8G91t75phQIWuAntxrNiEy6zhOUIQGm-SF_EDiB_VQJZoga2uTbDb1Fb5t8VBELiQn9d1HkPuWOP-bplkn9ABi7YfY2Q4CWkzwK/s1600/smart-vs-globe-lte.jpg" title="Smart beats Globe in LTE speed across regions in PH – OpenSignal" /></a></div><br />“The latest OpenSignal results show that where we have LTE, we deliver the fastest speeds, and we are rapidly expanding our network’s reach to make this available to more Filipinos, starting with urban hubs like Metro Davao, Metro Cebu and Metro Manila, where there is a significant concentration of LTE device users, ” said Eric Alberto, PLDT Group Chief Revenue Officer.<br /><br />“In 4G speed, Smart was really able to strut its stuff in the NCR and Mindanao. In those two regions, Smart not only exceeded its national average LTE download speed of 10.6 Mbps, but it beat out competition by huge margins in our test results (by more than 4 Mbps in both cases),” OpenSignal noted in its report.<br /><br />Smart posted LTE speeds of 11.7 Mbps in Mindanao (vs 6.4 Mbps of Globe) and 12.4 Mbps in Metro Manila (vs 7.8 Mbps). Smart also led in North Luzon at 8.3 Mbps (vs 6.6 Mbps) and South Luzon at 9.3 Mbps (vs 6.8 Mbps). It posted average download speeds of 7.1 Mbps in the Visayas.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />OpenSignal also noted that Smart’s 4G availability score was much higher in Metro Manila compared to the national average, with Smart’s NCR 4G availability at 67.5 percent—15 points higher than the national score. “This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the NCR is essentially the metro area of Manila, a very densely populated region,” OpenSignal said.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaZqeJ2zypG-S6jcwd5nP3Y_Af-w5YzDvDnTSUWpBHf0zDHn-q3v97gcXIfSu94B8NCf3lhvB33q3O47JUKTg9Wy1ZKTdn2Eqblc4-AS-7-i1C79WP8w-I4FrZGj-ijZa2NNjsLYa3c2Y/s1600/globe-vs-smart-3g-LTE-speed.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mobile networks update (Philippines)" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="1103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaZqeJ2zypG-S6jcwd5nP3Y_Af-w5YzDvDnTSUWpBHf0zDHn-q3v97gcXIfSu94B8NCf3lhvB33q3O47JUKTg9Wy1ZKTdn2Eqblc4-AS-7-i1C79WP8w-I4FrZGj-ijZa2NNjsLYa3c2Y/s1600/globe-vs-smart-3g-LTE-speed.JPG" title="Mobile networks update (Philippines)" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mobile networks update (Philippines). Photo Credit: OpenSignal website</td></tr></tbody></table>“Through our network improvement efforts, PLDT and Smart are leading the way to improving internet and digital services for Filipinos all over the country to make the best mobile data experience more accessible to our customers,” Alberto added.<br /><br />“Apart from improving the network, Smart is also setting the pace in putting LTE within the reach of our customers by helping them shift to LTE devices to experience our improved network,” Alberto said.<br /><br />Earlier this month, Smart announced that it was upgrading its cell sites and doubling its LTE capacity in Marikina and Quezon City as part of its network expansion and modernization program. The upgrade is expected to improve Smart’s mobile data service, particularly LTE and 3G, and provide superior network capacity to customers who live and work in the two cities.<br /><br />Smart has already finished its LTE rollout in the country’s top urban hubs Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, in the island resort of Boracay, and in Rizal province. It is currently underway in Metro Manila.<br /><br />This comprehensive network modernization and expansion program is at the core of the PLDT group’s digital pivot. Smart’s network rollout took a big bulk of PLDT’s ramped-up capital expenditure program of P42.8 billion for 2016, which included the utilization of the new frequencies freed up with the acquisition of San Miguel Corporation’s telco assets.</div>

Smart beats Globe in LTE speed across regions in PH – OpenSignal

MANILA, Philippines - PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) continues to lead across all regions in terms of LTE speed...

LIST: Top 10 companies 'Pinoys aspire to work for' 2017

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Country’s leading job portal JobStreet.com has recently released its Top Companies 2017 survey, a list that reveals companies that Pinoys dream to work for this year.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86-WFRORVEXV1N5EVaYIR9Ef8RDhGPh3SV4M4Fqe2WUB0aezEBFZwf8X1_sB23lJ7i9Kg5BYmsoAck2VE7ZB0aQ8fzAU9lrB-V26NRNv6xsW0IeiKRznfSYi-M8fGKCCCqeDtoPxKCctS/s1600/PLDT-makati.JPG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Top 10 companies ‘Pinoys aspire to work for” 2017 PLDT" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="715" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86-WFRORVEXV1N5EVaYIR9Ef8RDhGPh3SV4M4Fqe2WUB0aezEBFZwf8X1_sB23lJ7i9Kg5BYmsoAck2VE7ZB0aQ8fzAU9lrB-V26NRNv6xsW0IeiKRznfSYi-M8fGKCCCqeDtoPxKCctS/s1600/PLDT-makati.JPG" title="Top 10 companies ‘Pinoys aspire to work for” 2017 PLDT" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PLDT Headquarter in Makati City. File photo.</td></tr></tbody></table>The survey carried out in May 2017 involved a total of 3,658 respondents coming from different position levels predominantly junior executives and fresh graduates with various specializations.<br /><br />Based on the results of the ranking released on Wednesday, August 30, power distributor Manila Electric Co. <b>(Meralco)</b> was the <b>number one choice of jobseekers</b>, putting last year’s first-placer, food and beverage firm San Miguel Corporation (SMC) to second place.<br /><br />From eighth place last year, Internet-based service Google Philippines snatched the third spot, while international nutrition and wellness multinational giant Nestle Philippines slid down to fourth place.<br /><div id="unruly-unit"></div><br />BPO firm Accenture in the Philippines secured the fifth spot from third place last year.<br /><br />Other firms that made the fourth edition of the list were Henry Sy-owned financial institution BDO Unibank, consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble, top media and entertainment company ABS-CBN Corp., telecommunications giant PLDT Inc, and consumer goods multinational Unilever.<br /><br />1. Manila Electric Co (Meralco)<br />2. San Miguel Corp (SMC)<br />3. Google Philippines<br />4. Nestle Philippines<br />5. Accenture<br />6. BDO Unibank<br />7. Procter and Gamble<br />8. ABS-CBN Corp<br />9. PLDT Inc.<br />10 Unilever<br /><br />While last year’s list showed that a competitive basic salary was the top reason why jobseekers choose to work for a firm, jobseekers this year considered job security as their primary reason. Other factors include career growth offerings, training and development opportunities as well as strong leadership team. <br /><br />“These choices indicate that professional Filipinos are more interested in the long-term gains, as factors that directly affect their professional lives such as career growth offerings, job security, career-enhancing training and development opportunities, and a strong leadership team that can mentor them in their professional trajectory are now more preferred than the short-term offerings such as competitive salaries,” JobStreet said in its report.<br /><br />Check out last year’s <a href="http://pinoybuzz.blogkorner.com/2016/07/list-top-10-companies-pinoys-aspire-to-work-2016.html" rel="nofollow">list</a>.<br /><br /><b>-- Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

LIST: Top 10 companies 'Pinoys aspire to work for' 2017

MANILA, Philippines - Country’s leading job portal JobStreet.com has recently released its Top Companies 2017 survey, a list that reveals co...

PLDT says 2016 national elections ‘a quiet day’

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - For the country’s leading telecoms and digital services provider, the just-concluded national elections were “largely uneventful.”<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNF7Wi7FD2M_0PedGsIAUrZtdu5L4TVnWe09lNOGqY6ToQu1h1m-tlqyJUBp7JLNW0Xlc_JU_xx5_qefeXxVBqtrg9msgW_81jwtZIQIAPtlWchspj_gdDKdEhASz1qkfT8L1iLAD3qyO/s1600/pldt-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="PLDT says 2016 national elections ‘a quiet day’" border="0" class="img" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNF7Wi7FD2M_0PedGsIAUrZtdu5L4TVnWe09lNOGqY6ToQu1h1m-tlqyJUBp7JLNW0Xlc_JU_xx5_qefeXxVBqtrg9msgW_81jwtZIQIAPtlWchspj_gdDKdEhASz1qkfT8L1iLAD3qyO/s1600/pldt-logo.jpg" title="PLDT says 2016 national elections ‘a quiet day’" /></a></div>“Amid all the excitement, Election Day was quiet for us. Our fixed and wireless networks were fully functional,” said Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman and CEO of PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications.<br /><br />That helped the transmission of elections results to proceed rapidly.  As Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Andres Bautista said, election returns from over 91% of the country’s 92,509 clustered precincts were successfully transmitted to the COMELEC and its citizen’s arm, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) within 18 hours from the close of the polls.<br /><br />Timely transmission to the PPCRV transparency server in turn enabled media organizations to quickly report the results, helping dispel fears that political tensions would flare up in the aftermath of the heated political campaign.<br /><br />“The fact that the elections from a telco transmission point of view was largely uneventful was welcome news to all of us.  We were happy to do our share in making this possible,” Pangilinan said.<br /><br />“To make that happen, our entire organization prepared thoroughly for this very important national event, and was on full alert priot to and on election day itself. As it turned out, our network performed smoothly, enabling voting precincts to quickly transmit election returns,” said PLDT Group EVP and ePLDT President and CEO Ernesto R. Alberto.<br /><br />PLDT and its wireless subsidiaries Smart Communications and Sun provided high bandwidth voice and data connectivity to Smartmatic, which handled election automation services for the COMELEC, Alberto explained.<br /><br />Smart and Sun accounted for 60% of the pool of SIMs used by Smartmatic to transmit election returns from precincts. PLDT also powered the DSL broadband connection of 386 canvassing sites. To ensure problem-free transmission of results to the national board of canvassers, the company deployed technical support teams to the canvassing sites.<br /><br />Further, the PLDT Group donated fiber-optic cable connectivity and hosting services to the PPCRV for their transparency servers which supplied election results data to the various media organizations, Alberto added.<br /><br />PLDT also partnered with media organizations to support their fast and digitally-enabled election coverage.  It provided some of the connectivity requirements of GMA7 for its coverage and of ABS-CBN in its hosting of the presidential debate at the University of Pangasinan.<br /><br />Moreover, PLDT supported the data-driven coverage of TV5, resulting in its lag-free reporting of live events, clearer presentation of collected data, and interactive reporting via use of social media.<br /><br />“About a year ago, we (TV5) started planning for this election coverage. We wanted to improve on the 2010 and 2013 record of TV5 and for PLDT and Smart to provide the access and connectivity to TV5. Most important for TV5 is the data and how that data is reported. That’s why you’re seeing the kind of description of the events on a national level, local level, all the way down to the precinct level and the councilor level at almost real-time,” said Pangilinan who is also Chairman of TV5, a unit of Mediaquest Holdings which is owned by the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund.<br /><br />“This is real convergence at work - the telco providing the connectivity, the access to the data that the TV network gathers, curates and presents to the public in an understandable manner,” he said.<br /><br />TV5 President and CEO Noel Lorenzana said their efforts were focused on giving their audience a truly data-enriched coverage of the national elections.<br /><br />“We are all connected to the transparency server of PPCRV so we are able to download the raw data from PPCRV. But for TV5, we made sure that we are able to process this data at faster pace and to translate it to information that enrich our viewers’ understanding of the election results,” he noted. </div>

PLDT says 2016 national elections ‘a quiet day’

MANILA, Philippines - For the country’s leading telecoms and digital services provider, the just-concluded national elections were “largely ...

Goodbye Telstra, San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Despite the botched partnership with Telstra, San Miguel Corporation is expected to launch this year its mobile services through Bell Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (BellTel).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweW9RUfsYYfunCpQCa4tihkxYUl21e2RLVKYQE-bXyouII-zrrcTjgo1p2vknRIyEadzi54JiqiwDidPNd6ZXxfDzDPmIkpVddXqbA0bFwyG0fQPwrhtrxw42Bkk0yh6016ZMwRkYMBTv/s1600/san-miguel-belltel-telstra.PNG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016" border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweW9RUfsYYfunCpQCa4tihkxYUl21e2RLVKYQE-bXyouII-zrrcTjgo1p2vknRIyEadzi54JiqiwDidPNd6ZXxfDzDPmIkpVddXqbA0bFwyG0fQPwrhtrxw42Bkk0yh6016ZMwRkYMBTv/s640/san-miguel-belltel-telstra.PNG" title="San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Ramon Ang’s SMC and Australian telecom giant Telstra ends joint venture talk with a “no.”<br /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Then, ring the 'Bell.'</span></td></tr></tbody></table>“San Miguel’s entry in the telecom market will definitely be a game changer. When we launch, consumers will benefit from better, cheaper service,” SMC President and COO Ramon S. Ang said.<br /><br />Belltel, which SMC acquired in 2010 through Vega Telecom Inc, has 197 base stations in Metro Manila, of which 191 already have radio station licenses, Interaksyon has reported.<br /><br />Ang added that the company is currently testing the LTE service, which would be rolled out “very soon” or within 2016. “We won’t switch it on until it’s perfect,” he said to the media.<br /><br />Reports said that the company has ongoing rollout of base stations from Pampanga to Batangas. Same with major players, the concentration is still the National Capital Region (NCR).<br /><br />While on the stage of developing a mobile network, Telstra has offered aid in technical network design and construction consultancy to make SMC's network brand an equally competent rival of industry leaders, PLDT and Globe Telecom. The company also hired experienced engineers allegedly coming from the existing players in the country.<br /><br /><b>“Both SMC and Telstra worked hard,” Ang says</b><br /><br />In a statement, San Miguel announced to public that both SMC and Telstra worked hard to come up with an acceptable resolution to some issues. <br /><br />"However, we agreed we can no longer continue with the talks. I believe this is best for all parties," Ang said.<br /><br />It can be remembered that the Filipino business tycoon made an announcement last October 2015 at the Forbes Global CEO Conference of the possibility of SMC having a joint venture with Telstra that will finally provide an unparalleled mobile and internet services in the country. <br /><br />The announcement was greeted with a very warm response by some Filipino mobile subscribers who have been consistently complaining of the alleged poor telecommunication service experience in the country. Some also claimed they are willing to pay a higher price just to enjoy the promising services of the SMC-Telstra backed network.<br /><br />On the other hand, Telstra's CEO Andrew Penn confirmed the news on a separate press statement saying that "While this opportunity is strategically attractive, and we have great respect for San Miguel Corporation and its President Mr (Ramon) Ang, it was obviously crucial that the commercial arrangements achieved the right risk-reward balance for all involved."<br /><br /><b>Telstra supposed to invest USD1 billion to speed up PH internet</b><br /><br />Originally, Telstra was supposed to pour in a huge $US1 billion for the joint venture with SMC with the hope to enable the Philippines to experience the standard high-speed mobile and internet services, something which it doesn't have as compared to its ASEAN neighbors. <br /><br />The Philippines ranks lowly among its ASEAN peers in terms of having the fastest internet services while at the same time serves as one of the leaders in terms of having the most expensive broadband services being paid by its consumers. <br /><br />When Ookla conducted a household speedtest last May 2015, the Philippines showed very poorly among its Asian contemporaries, ranking 21st among the 22 countries, just above the cellar dweller Afghanistan.<br /><br /><b>May 2015's Ookla houshold speedtest index result:</b><br /><br />1. Singapore - 122.43 Mbps<br />2. Hong Kong - 102.96 Mbps<br />3. Japan - 82.12 Mbps<br />4. South Korea - 59.77 Mbps<br />5. Macau - 50.66 Mbps<br />6. Taiwan - 50.59 Mbps<br />7. Thailand - 19.82 Mbps<br />8. Mongolia - 17.92 Mbps<br />9. Vietnam - 17.70 Mbps<br />10. Bangladesh - 9.86 Mbps<br />11. Cambodia 9.04 Mbps<br />12. Nepal 8.63 Mbps<br />13. Brunei 7.99 Mbps<br />14. Bhutan - 7.82 Mbps<br />15. India 7.04 Mbps<br />16. Malaysia 7.03 Mbps<br />17. Laos 6.92 Mbps<br />18. Indonesia 6.68 Mbps<br />19. Myanmar 6.54 Mbps<br />20. Pakistan 4.00 Mbps<br />21. Philippines - 3.64 Mbps<br />22. Afghanistan - 2.52 Mbps<br /><br /><br /><b>Duopoly and corruption seen as obstacles in Telstra-SMC joint venture</b><br /><br />Aside from the differences that kept the two conglomerates from sending the go signal for their joint venture, other factors were also being analyzed in the business world. <br /><br />First, the threat of having a third player in the telecommunications industry backed by a foreign telecom giant made the duopoly of Philippine Long Distance Telephon Company (PLDT) and Globe Telecom Incorporated to allegedly implement all the necessary measures to block any possible attempts for SMC to bring the services of Telstra with it. <br /><br />Reports said that both have ramped up public awareness and lobbying to secure part of San Miguel’s 700 Mhz spectrum, a low-band frequency good for covering large areas efficiently.<br /><br />Utilizing the 700-MHz band would allow the deployment of a high-capacity LTE-based wireless and fixed broadband network to deliver higher data rate and LTE wireless broadband service. With the use of the 700-MHz frequency, broadband prices can go down further benefitting consumers.<br /><br />Another issue is the rampant bureaucratic corruption in which the Philippine government has been notoriously known for. Although the present government lifted up the global image of the Philippines, the vestiges of its old identity as an accessory to high-level corruption activities still persists. Take for example the busted 2008 NBN-ZTE deal in which the former first gentleman Mike Arroyo was accused of having a hand on it. <b>-Michael Santiago/The Summit Express</b></div>

Goodbye Telstra, San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016?

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the botched partnership with Telstra, San Miguel Corporation is expected to launch this year its mobile servic...