Rakuten Mobile aims to differentiate itself from incumbents – NTT, Softbank and KDDI – as a “end-to-end fully virtualized cloud native mobile network” which Rakuten claims has reduced capex and opex, enabling it to offer services at a lower price point. For example, it is able to offer unlimited domestic calls through its proprietary OTT communications app dubbed “Rakuten Link” that enables not just in-app communication, but also domestic and international communications with other mobile phones not using the app, so long as the phone is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular network. The app also allows file transfers, a feature that conventional SMS does not support. When a customer signs on to Rakuten Mobile, it is receiving not just connectivity, but also a constantly updating technology ecosystem created by Rakuten, ranging from e-commerce to travel, that will eventually be integrated with the mobile business.
Rakuten Mobile also develops and offers its own mobile devices, such as Rakuten Mini, purportedly the smallest and lightest FeliCa-quipped smartphone.
TPG Telecom, Singapore
In 2016, Australia’s TPG Telecom, founded by businessman David Teoh, won the fourth telecom license in Singapore and was provisionally allocated 60MHz of spectrum. In the subsequent years, TPG Telecom proceeded to deploy its mobile network across the island nation, spending A$340.1 (US$264.8) million in capex from 2016 to 2019, including A$124 (US$96.8) million on spectrum. TPG managed to achieve 99.89% outdoor coverage and 100% indoor QoS validation of buildings tested by January 2020.
To stimulate customer interest, while simultaneously gathering feedback on network quality, TPG offered a 12-month free trial to the first 20,000 registrations. By February 2020, the trial had been expanded – although the duration of free service reduced from 12 months to 6 months – with over 400,000 users on the service.
Following the merger of TPG Telecom and Vodafone Hutchinson Australia, the Singapore business was spun off as a separate business with its own shareholders.
TPG launched commercial services in March 2021, severely undercutting its rivals – Singtel, M1 and StarHub – with a SIM-only plan at S$10 (US$7.54) per month for 50GB, the cheapest in the market at that point. In the run up to TPG’s impending launch, incumbent MVNOs and MNOs began launching SIM-only plans without lock-in periods, prices fell and data caps drastically increased. However, it is uncertain if TPG’s price will be sustainable in the long run.
DITO Telecommunity, Philippines
Originally a little-known minor telecom company established in 1998 known as Mislatel, it became a vehicle for a consortium led by Udenna Corporation, a conglomerate controlled by Filipino businessman Dennis Uy, and China Telecom through acquisition. China Telecom has a 40% stake in the consortium while the remaining shareholders include Phoenix Petroleum and PH Resorts Group.
With much fanfare, President Duterte, who had long maligned the incumbent telcos PLDT and Globe Telecom for poor service, personally handed the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) to Mislatel in July 2019 and challenged the consortium to break the longstanding duopoly in the industry. The company was renamed “Dito”, which means “here” in Tagalog.
DITO has set itself the goal of commanding at least 30% market share through a “service to service fight” on the basis of quality of service. In February 2021, the National Telecommunications Commission announced that DITO had passed its first-year technical audit, in which it was assessed to have achieved its commitment to deliver an average broadband speed of 27 megabits per second and 37% population coverage. It has earmarked PHP257 (US$5.3) billion over 5 years in capex to cover 84% of Philippines’ population.
In March, DITO launched commercially in 15 area of Visayas and Mindanao with a welcome package at PHP199 (US$4.10) per month for unlimited data and DITO-to-DITO on-net calls & texts.
Each week, Remote Workmate compiles a quick summary of a few major Philippine stories.
Here are some of the top headlines from this first week of December 2020.Christmas parties, caroling banned in Metro ManilaCaroling and office Christmas parties won’t be allowed in Metro Manila this holiday season, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez said on Monday, November 30.In a radio interview, Olivarez, head of the Metro Manila Council, said the mayors discussed the ban during their meeting last November 29.Equitable access to COVID-19 vaccine in PH might be achieved by 2022Credit: Daniel Schludi/UnsplashNational Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said “equitable access” to the COVID-19 vaccine might only be achieved in the Philippines by 2022.Galvez said the government might allow the commercialization of COVID-19 vaccines by 2022 if the country has enough supply by then.Tail-end of frontal system, northeast monsoon affecting parts of Luzon, VisayasCredit: RapplerThe Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration is monitoring the effects of the tail-end of a frontal system, the northeast monsoon, and a low pressure area (LPA).The LPA inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility was located 835 kilometers east northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, or 850 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, as of Monday morning, November 30.3.8M Filipinos unemployed in October as some jobs restoredCredit: CNN PhilippinesMore Filipinos found jobs in October 2020 as the economy reopened after previous COVID-19 lockdowns, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Thursday, December 3.The PSA reported an 8.7% unemployment rate among residents aged 15 and up, easing from 10% in July but still worse than October 2019’s 4.6% level.
This translated to about 3.8 million people still out of work.It’s actually an improvement compared to the 4.6 million tallied three months ago, which represents a gain of about 760,000 jobs.Telcos to report on service improvement on December 8Telecommunication companies will make a progress report to the public on Tuesday, December 8, in compliance with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s demand to improve their services by December.According to the presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, representatives from Globe Telecom and Smart Communications, as well as the National Telecommunications Commission, will attend his regular Malacañang press briefing to report what has been done to improve connectivity.
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