Globe WiMax Internet is here!

Just got an SMS confirmation from Globe that they’ve already rolled out and servicing customers on their WiMax network. I’m still getting the details but the Inquirer ran the story last night that it will be 512Kbps at Php799USD 14INR 1,154EUR 13CNY 99 per month. This service will certainly be competing against Smart Bro’s Fixed Wireless offering.

Will update this post once I get the copy of the press release. Intel’s timing was just right when we had the WiMax forum yesterday.

Here’s part of the Press Release I got:

Globe is first in the Philippines to launch Wimax. Available starting March 2009, the company’s WIMAX package is a high-speed Internet plan that lets users surf the web at speeds of up to 512kbps for only PHP795USD 14INR 1,148EUR 13CNY 99 per month. The package also comes with an aggressive money-back guarantee. “We challenge anyone with a competitive wireless subscription to try out our Wimax-backed plans. We are so confident with our service that we challenge you try out our connection, risk-free. Should you be unhappy with the connection within one month from installation, we’ll give you your money-back, no questions asked,” says Menchi Orlina, head of the Consumer Broadband Business Group.

The service is initially available in selected areas in South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Globe will continue to roll-out hundreds of WiMAX sites, as a complement to its existing DSL and 3G internet facilities, to ensure the internet gets to every Filipino who needs it.

Interested households may call (02)919-8888 or visit the nearest Globe Payments and Services centers for further inquiries.

WiMAX is short for Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access. It is a standards-based technology designed to enable the deployment of wireless broadband access as a cost-efficient alternative to cable and DSL; WIMAX also has improved reach and can cover distances greater than those covered by other wireless technologies like WiFi, CDMA, or 3G.

Globe’s network is considered the first and biggest 2.5Ghz WiMAX (802.16e) broadband network in South East Asia.