PLDT offers mobile service in Italy

By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: September 27, 2008

MANILA, Philippines—PLDT Global Corp., the international sales and marketing arm of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., announced it had teamed up with foreign partners to launch mobile-phone services in Italy.

PLDT Global said it and its subsidiary PLDT Italy Srl signed agreements with Hutchison Global Communication and H3G SpA to operate as a mobile virtual network operator.

PLDT will offer mobile services under the brand “Smart Pinoy,” which PLDT spokesperson Ramon Isberto said in a text message would be launched in Milan and Rome early next month.

Smart Pinoy, using the platform of PLDT wireless services arm Smart Communications Inc., will offer electronic loading and sharing of prepaid airtime credits.

PLDT Global said Smart Pinoy would offer affordable rates for international calls and SMS from Italy to the Philippines.

It added that the foreign partners would enable Smart Pinoy to offer popular services in Italy, such as video calling and video streaming.

H3G SpA operates as a mobile media company that offers media services, information, and telephone services enabling live video calls, multimedia content, and entertainment in Italy.

In the future, Smart Pinoy will also allow money remittance through mobile phone, it said.

PLDT Global in 2004 launched a mobile operator called 1528 Smart in Hong Kong, where Hutchison Global owns and operates an extensive fiber-to-the-building telecommunications network. Edited by INQUIRER.net