A new telco is coming to town and its name is Vodafone. Arguably the largest telecoms company in the world (based on revenues) and the 2nd largest in terms of subscriber base, Vodafone Philippines has started putting up their accounts for the Philippines in preparation for the official launch.
Though this is not official yet, Vodafone’s Twitter and Facebook accounts have been set up to reflect their Philippine presence.
.
Vodafone is present in over 30 countries worldwide and with 40 other partnerships with other telcos. They have operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States. In the Philippines, Vodafone lists Smart as one of its partners (probably for roaming?).
Vodafone is into the fixed line services, mobile phone service, internet and digital TV. Will post more udpates once we get a confirmation.
Hat tip to @jonjongoco.
Update: It is possible this could be a partnership with San Miguel which already owns 75% of Eastern Telecoms, and also owns Liberty Telecom and Bell Telecom.
According to San Miguel’s website:
San Miguel’s fledgling telecommunications business has seen the addition of Bell Telecommunications Philippines, Inc., our second telecoms platform after Liberty Telecommunications Holdings, Inc. Bell Tel will give San Miguel entry into the wireless voice, data and video connectivity business, expanding the scope of the company’s telecom offerings. At present, Liberty has signed on an estimated 70,000 subscribers to its internet broadband and WiMAX services. In December 2010, San Miguel acquired a stake in Eastern Telecommunications Philippines, Inc.
It is possible the partnership with Vodafone will be focused on voice services with Vodafone as the official name carrier.
Note: I’d like to go back to my Top 10 predictions for 2012 and write off #7.
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Jhay says:
Finally! A real competition to shake the local telco industry. Hopefully this will be good to us consumers.
nexusboy says:
wow seriously?! sounds exciting!
mackie says:
hyeees! finally!
PJ says:
if i subscribe here and i bring the sim to the US or UK, will the roaming fees be cheaper?
garz says:
Smart and Globe will be in trouble soon if they keep offering mediocre services.
Iyan Sommerset says:
The only good thing I hope that will come from this is that Globe and Smart will lower rates even more to remain competitive. I don’t really like patronizing non-homegrown companies/corporations over local ones. Money going out of the Philippine economy into (in this case) the U.K. one. As if they need it.
Chorvaqueen says:
That’s really a destructive thinking you got there. So you’re pretty much saying you prefer local brands regardless if they are shitty?
Obezyana says:
So they are setting up shop here possibly creating a lot of jobs in you OWN country and you don’t want that?
How about the BPO industry? They’re all foreign-owned. Would you rather make them leave than keep the people’s jobs in the country?
LG Promo Victim says:
How do you suppose Vodafone will get a franchise to operate in the phils?
via the CURE/Red Mobile franchise that Smart let go off when it acquired Digitel?
via the Liberty Telecoms/SMC franchise?
LG Promo Victim says:
then dont avail of the services of Smart and Globe
Smart is partly owned by NTT Docomo (japan)
Globe is partly owned by Singtel (singapore)
Iyan Sommerset says:
Actually, BPOs do the opposite thing: They pump in money from their subscribers (in other countries) into the local economy.
And as for preference, if they’re all crappy, I’d prefer a local crappy company than a foreign one. If you look around, you’ll see pretty much the same complaints about Vodafone’s services as any other telco. (Well, I don’t know if it gets that bad here, but I came across a woman being billed $1900 for roaming charges even though she applied for a capped service.)
anti_koreans says:
I think I’ll start a petition to get OFW’s out of MY country using your thinking u asshole.
kim says:
Finally…babagsak na ang mga gahamang telcos natin… Over mag charge nang txt/call..3g napakahina…freephones? napakamahal..hahai..Ito ang tunay na competitor..magsama2x na kayu smart/globe.. hahaha..babagsak din kayu..lols
Fleeb says:
Paano naging mahal yung text? 3-5 pesos yun sa ibang bansa.
jhepoyskee says:
i think we should not compare rates here and other countries because it would be biased because of our currency.
budflick says:
I prefer if its a stand alone network, not just some crappy “powered by/in partner with” Voda network.
Much better if o2 will set up a network here too. I have o2 3G irish sims and UK o2 sims that expired AFTER four years due to not loading it, just last month.
And they give away FREE sim cards with free credit. you dont have to pay 40pesos just to try their service.
kalabaw says:
About fucking time a foreign player steps in, tagal nako naghihiling ng ganitong pangyayari. In your face, smart and globe monopoly.
nexusboy says:
Vodafone pala owns Verizon Wireless (USA) which is a CDMA network. its starting to make sense, i remember San Miguel wanted to put up a mobile network in CDMA technology, so I guess this is it?
Pepe says:
Unlike other countries, if they want to succeed in the business here, they will have to get as many users as possible. Even if they provide excellent service, if they don’t get enough people, it won’t work simply because of the cross network charges that other telcos still charge.
Cellphone networks are like social networks in this country. You will often text/call people in the same network, so the more people you have in one network, the more others will be convinced to join that network
nexusboy says:
i wonder if Vodafone will enter the Philippines as a stand alone company? or will it partner with San Miguel – Qtel – Liberty Telecoms?
memedroid says:
It will definitely has partner here locally, unless the 1987 constitution will be ammended.
Cliff Rosario says:
This seems to be true.
a San Miguel/Qtel/Liberty telecoms(wi-tribe) venture.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/01/19/11/san-miguels-liberty-telecom-searching-new-head
peter says:
yes ..ito nga siguro ang strategy ni san miguel kasi napakabagal ng deployment nila ng kanilang wimax basestation up to now hindi pa cover ang ncr mahina parin ang signal nila..partner na yan ng quatar telecoms , Ngayon baka sa pagpasok ni vodafone mas bumilis yung pag put up nila ng kanilang network..Ang tanong ano aang gagamitin nilang technology or itutoloy nila ang wimax existing ng liberty telecoms/witribe or LTE technology na..Magandang abangan yan!!
dj0502 says:
This is great. I doubt if this will push prices down (though budget rates would always stay), as that fight lead to the lost of Sun Cellular but I do hope the services get better. 3G in the Philippines is a joke.
mponce says:
Hello cheaper rates. :)
Noynoy Abnoynoy says:
sana matapos na ang paghihirap natin sa smart,globe at sun. napawalang kwenta kasi ng kanilang serbisyo sa atin. sana mamatay na sila PANGILINAN at AYALA.
Manong Iskrambol says:
what I am seeing here is the competition over data plans, voice call, video call, even mms.. new phones are trending in this area… unlimited data plan in a cheaper price hahaha.. the best sana mangarap tayo..
rex1213 says:
And the thing is, when you enter: http://vodafone.ph , it will take you to a page saying “Future website of vodafone.ph” instead of saying “vodafone.ph is still available” by the official domain name registry of the Philippines as with the case of sites with a .ph domain name na hindi pa taken or wala pang nagmamay-ari.
Hmmmmmm… Parang they are coming soon nga!
budflick says:
its possible that this is true, On second thought, theres also a chance that this is a fabricated topic. as we all well know Voda is a premiere network, and they dont do “teasers” to an unfinished product.
Jick says:
Here’s hoping that this would increase competitiveness among telcos.
Also, I hope voda would implement strict standards here in the Phils, foreign company + filipino EXECs = same stupid, greedy, and corrupt company.
Though, I might not subscribe to voda as I wouldn’t want a large percentage of my money to go to foreigners.
Chorvaqueen says:
Eh, I rather not give my money to local corporations that offer shitty services.
Obezyana says:
I’d like you say that again if the US passes the bill to limit their BPO industry to foreign countries including the Philippines.
What if they also don’t want *foreign* labor?
nexusboy says:
this could turn out to be a hoax.
budflick says:
Search WHOIS Records
WHOIS Info for vodafone.ph
Domain Name: VODAFONE.PH
Expires on : July 14, 2012
Registrant:
Vodafone Group Services Limited
Vodafone House
The Connection
Newbury
Berkshire
United Kingdom
ravi.mohindra@…
mageexpire na sa july 14 2012?
Maybe its true but it didnt push well- and they are reviving the project.
rex1213 says:
And here is another one for vodafone.com.ph
WHOIS Info for vodafone.com.ph
Domain Name: VODAFONE.COM.PH
Expires on : July 30, 2014
Registrant:
Vodafone Group Plc
Vodafone House, The Connection
Newsbury
Berkshire
United Kingdom
domain.names@…
corporate-services@…
Domain servers in listed order:
ns1.dc-ratingen.de
ns2.dc-ratingen.de
rex1213 says:
And here is another one for vodafone.com.ph
WHOIS Info for vodafone.com.ph
Domain Name: VODAFONE.COM.PH
Expires on : July 30, 2014
Registrant:
Vodafone Group Plc
Vodafone House, The Connection
Newsbury
Berkshire
United Kingdom
domain.names@…
corporate-services@…
Domain servers in listed order:
ns1.dc-ratingen.de
ns2.dc-ratingen.de
Until 2014 sya for this domain.
ronpaul2012 says:
Don’t get too excited over such news guys. Instead be updated with the current fuzz of global economic status. You’d be surprised for the biggest financial melt down ever that’s about to happen.
Chorvaqueen says:
There’s no real competition unless this country gets rid of that crappy 60/40 economic provision.
Trojan mouse says:
Hello po! Diba yung pldt at globe ay may foreign company rin na nagmamy-ari, globe-singtel, pldt-ntt docomo at first pacific. Diba papunta rin sa mga dayuhan yung pera natin.
manny c says:
I think may isa pang partner si Globe si Deutsche Telekom (partner of Delgado family sa Islacom na inacquire ni Globe).
Lahat sila may foreign partners sana yun bagong player hindi magulang sa service.
frenchy says:
Yes! Smart and Globe will finally be obliged to improve their services to catch up with the competition whether they like it or not. Yay!
nokia 5130 says:
thank for share information and keep post.:D
LG Promo Victim says:
via the Liberty Telecoms/SMC franchise?
via the CURE/Red Mobile franchise that Smart let go off when it acquired Digitel?
How do you suppose Vodafone will get a franchise to operate in the phils?
LG OPTIMUS says:
info lang po,naka pag trabaho kasi ako sa vodafone australia (cell site telecom installation engineer)mas mura ang local telecoms natin compare sa vodafone (cairns australia) pano kaya maka ka compete si vodafone?wlang mga unli call and text sa vodafone,per Mb ang data charging. pero mas mabilis ang network kasi straight ericsson equipment sila,wait nlng natin si smart,ongoing ang upgrade nila from nokia/siemens to ericsson.
Brian says:
It looks to be a tie-up with smart. http://www.vodafone.com/content/index/about/about_us/where.html
a nonny mouse says:
shape up or ship out, local telcos.
Juan says:
We need more competition in the telecom industry.
Ang bagal ng development.
Ang taas ng rates, particularly the internet.
We are still being billed per minute kahit 10 seconds lang ang tawag…
Augustus says:
Uu, pero you can try Click Telco. They offer free click to click calls.
benchmark says:
Well i just hope this would be one of the game changer here in telcom industry here in PH like SUN… (pero like what they comment, if you can’t beat them, buy them.)
Regardless they are international company or local, I hope they follow the laws and ofcourse provide good services to the people, lalo na yung mga nasa kaduluduluhan ng Pinas…hopefully they will not join the crap bandwagon of our telcos & net providers.
marc says:
siguro its possible but it will be a tie up with smart for sure. mas mayaman ang smart with mvp, and his companies like mmc and pldt.
MVP says:
Vodaphone’s Philippine partner is Smart Communications
nexusboy says:
i just wish San Miguel can launch their mobile network the soonest possible time. what could be the cause of delay? aint SMC supposed to have the new network operational by now?
simplynice93 says:
A new telco player is always a welcome development. Hopefully they give a better service than the others.
vince says:
I welcome new players but san miguel? i hope walang cap like wi-tribe
pero let the market decide. malulugi sila if bad service just like liberty telecoms/wi-tribe
nexusboy says:
if its indeed Vodafone-San Miguel on CDMA network, we would be able to use Verizon and/or Sprint compatible smartphones like MOTOROLA DROID series, HTC EVO and the latest LTE devices being used in Japan’s NTT Docomo mobile network. this is so exciting!
nexusboy says:
whatever mobile platform san miguel telco will operate in the country, Apple fanboys have nothing to worry about, because iPhone 4S is a world phone and will work in most, if not all mobile network in the world. :)
Jason says:
Vodafone uses GSM, not CDMA. Kung CDMA yan, hindi tayo sanay sa walang SIM card. Parang instant noodles lang yung CDMA.
John says:
only to beat those prevailing competitors is to lower your price, and that means you should be in lost for a year before gaining a profit. I hope Vodafone knows their stand.
Jason says:
They have their own YouTube account!
http://www.youtube.com/vodafonePhilippines
Jason says:
I think, they have been registered the 2 domains: vodafone.com.ph (registered by Vodafone Group Plc, ) and vodafone.ph (registered by Vodafone Group Services Limited).
SOURCE: http://kabayantech.com/2012/02/vodafone-philippines/
Anonymouse coward says:
i had infos from a very reliable grapevine – a team of corporate lawyers, they started documenting and registering and stuff since 2007. But it looks like its materializing soon. most probably next year because marketing research is not yet done.. oops.
john says:
Yup, this is as true as Maria Ozawa’s FB casting call! Yeah!!!! Lezgo!
Niknok says:
Welcome to Vodafone!
We hope you’re here to kick some telco butts, provide better services, and not collude with the “competition”.
Mel R. says:
It could be that Vodafone is just opening a back-office/call center operation here, just like TELUS (Canada’s 2nd largest Telco) and not have any actual local operations in the PH.
nexusboy says:
San Miguel Corp should just operate their new mobile network RIGHT NOW! i can’t wait any longer.. it’s just Smart and Globe these days, and these two craps are claiming they’re NUMBER ONE! what the heck!
Bob says:
It’s Smart… http://smart.com.ph/corporate/newsroom/SmartMobileServicesVodafone.htm
MsD says:
hi, can you give me location of vodafone service center (Phils) i need to request to configure my unit (vodafone 555 blue)
thanks
Bryan says:
Please anything just to get out of globe. they suck big time!
aimee says:
bakit di ko ma openline vodafone ko
Neil Dennison says:
Please, could you let me know if this Vodafone incursion to the Philippines is confirmed.
If it is, why is it only having 3G???