OpenSignal: Globe outpaces competition in LTE speed, coverage

Tweet

Providing fastest mobile internet service in the Philippines

OpenSignal State of LTE report:

Globe Telecom provides the fastest LTE service in the Philippines, affirming the superiority of its mobile internet service and network infrastructure amid intensely competitive environment in the local telecommunications industry.

Based on OpenSignal’s State of LTE report for the third quarter of 2015, Globe Telecom’s LTE download speed is at 10 Mbps, double its competition’s LTE download speed of only 5 Mbps. Globe Telecom’s LTE download speed is comparable to territories/countries like Hong Kong (Smart Tone), India (Airtel), Norway (Telenor, Network Norway), Portugal (NOS), Indonesia (Indosat), which all registered a 10 Mbps download speed, and even higher than the 8 Mbps download speed in Russia (MTS), Malaysia (DiGi) and even US (AT&T, US Cellular, Sprint, C Spire Wireless).

While Globe Telecom’s download speed of 10 Mbps is considered adequate, its competition’s download speed of 5 Mbps dragged down the Philippines’ average LTE download speed to 8Mbps. OpenSignal specializes in mobile coverage mapping by crowdsourcing signal strength, data speed and reliability. In terms of LTE coverage, that of Globe is also superior at 41% against its competitor’s 36%.

“These findings prove our success in continuously expanding our network capacities amid ever-increasing demand for high-speed mobile internet access as more and more of our customers

build their life and work experiences around a digital lifestyle,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications, noting that about a third of the company’s 48.4 million mobile customers are now using smartphones.

As part of the company’s aggressive LTE rollout, the Globe network’s mobile ultra-broadband access in Visayas and Mindanao were expanded, utilizing the LTE-TDD and LTE-FDD technologies, Agustin said. Currently one of the most relevant mobile network technologies, 4G LTE offers much higher bandwidth, lower latency even as it increases overall network capacity. This allows customers to use more applications on their mobile devices.

Crisanto said the continuing expansion of Globe network capacities is intended to provide its customers with holistic digital experience as the company continues to offer products and services that enhance the Filipino digital lifestyle. “Globe is committed in providing the right infrastructure support to ensure that the data needs of our customers are served, thus strengthening our position as the network of choice for smartphone users in the country. When it comes to mobile internet speed, we believe that the Philippines can compete globally but there is a need to distinguish between mobile and wireline,” she added.

Amid ongoing network expansion, Globe capital expenditure this year is expected to reach $850 million. As of June this year, capex stood at P11.4 billion, bulk of which were allocated for data-related projects that include investments for the company’s broadband network, capacities for wireless data, LTE, domestic and international transmission facilities. A significant portion of the company’s capex for the year were also allotted for its IT infrastructure as Globe continues to create platform for new products as well as to build on its IT transmission initiatives.

The OpenSignal data is collected from real consumer smartphones and is recorded under conditions of normal usage. Rather than approximate the user experience, it is directly measured from the users of OpenSignal smartphone application, which can be freely downloaded on both iOS and Android devices, and thus it is able to constantly monitor the true network experience that users are getting on those devices.

Through the app, OpenSignal is able to observe the network exactly as the end user experiences it. Such customer-centric approach allows OpenSignal to measure the true end-to-end experience of the mobile network. It isolated the networks in the Philippines by extracting all those points sent with network IDs corresponding to the brands operational there and then perform a geographical query to isolate only those data points that have been captured within the region. The different brands have been identified by investigating the network names associated with the SIM in the reporting device and the network which is serving the device.

Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart Sabrina to represent Ph in 2015 Asia Song Fest

Tweet

Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart Sabrina is going places! She will be representing the Philippines in the upcoming Asia Song Festival to be held on October 11 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan, South Korea. Sabrina will be performing alongside Asia’s top music acts like KPop artists EXO, GOT7, Red Velvet and B.T.S, NGT48 from Japan and William Chan from China. She is also scheduled to collaborate on stage with KPop group B1A4 for their song “Lonely” where Sabrina will sing in Korean. Asia Song Festival is held every year since 2004 in Korea gathering the best singers in Asia and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Previous Philippine representatives include R&B singer Kyla and MYMP.

Sabrina recently conquered Malaysia when she performed at the Kuala Lumpur Lake Garden Festival last August 23 at Padang Merbok in the capital city. She was the only Filipino to sing at the festival alongside other Malaysian, Indonesian, Singaporean and other acts from Southeast Asia. She also did photoshoots, radio guestings, retail and TV appearances during her tour in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in time for her latest album “I Love Acoustic 8”. To date, she has also traveled to Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore where she had successful concerts and promo tours

She just released her latest album “I Love Acoustic 8” which debuted at #1 on iTunes Philippines and Indonesia and also on Top 10 of iTunes Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. The album is also released in CDs all over Asia making Sabrina one of the only few Filipinos to release a CD in the region and cementing her status as Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart. In the Philippines, “I Love Acoustic” is now on the Top 10 of the country’s largest CD retailer Astroplus. The Malaysia version of the album includes her duet with Malaysian singer Natasha Sass with the Malay version of Freddie Aguilar’s iconic song “Anak” which is entitled “Terima Kasih”. Indonesia’s version had Sabrina record a duet with one of their top singers Chilla Kiana for the songs “Thinking Out Loud” and “Love Me Harder”.

“I Love Acoustic 8” includes Sabrina’s acoustic-fied versions of current hits like: “Thinking Out Loud” (Ed Sheeran), “Bang Bang” (Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj), “All About That Bass” (Meghan Trainor), “Love Me Like You Do” (Ellie Goulding), “Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars), “Chandelier” (Sia), “I Really Like You” (Carly Rae Jepsen), “Blank Space” (Taylor Swift), “Sugar” (Maroon 5), “Love Me Harder” (Ariana Grande), “Style” (Taylor Swift), “Heroes” (Alesso feat. Tove Lo), “Lost Stars” (Adam Levine), “The Heart Wants What It Wants” (Selena Gomez), “Cool Kids” (Echosmith), “I’m Not The Only One” (Sam Smith), “I Want You To Know” (Selena Gomez) and “One Last Time” (Ariana Grande).

Now on its 8th volume, her “I Love Acoustic” series plus “Acoustic Love Notes” has sold more than 300,000 units all over Asia and were certified Platinum and Gold in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia and also released in Korea and other Asian countries digitally.

Sabrina’s “I Love Acoustic 8” is now out on CDs at Astroplus and Astrovision outlets, through digital downloads via Spinnr and iTunes and through streaming via Spinnr, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Guvera and Rdio.

For bookings and inquiries, please contact Sammy Samaniego at +632 9162504 local 107, +639178565174 or +639209682991 or email sammy.samaniego@umusic.com.

Singapore Airlines and Visa Unveil Exclusive Offers for Trips to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Europe

Tweet

Singapore Airlines, together with Visa, invites travelers to jumpstart their adventure with its special all-inclusive Economy Class round trip fares starting from just USD190.

Singapore

Together with the Singapore Tourism Board, SIA brings an attractive all-inclusive round trip fare to Singapore from just USD190, for a minimum of two passengers travelling together. More of the Lion City is now also reachable through the Singapore Airlines Singapore Explorer Pass. With a top-up of just USD 48 per person, travelers may revel in over 20 different attractions (worth SGD 420), including Gardens by the Bay, Madame Tussauds, Singapore Cable Car, Singapore Zoo, Singapore Flyer and free rides on the SIA Hop on Bus.

Australia

From just USD630, an exciting Australian adventure awaits those who wish to visit Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia alliance provides more choice for domestic and international air travel to and from Australia, with attractive and seamless travel options across Australia. Passengers can smoothly plan their trip to various attractions in The Land Down Under and avail of more travel options and convenient connections. All-inclusive one way add-on rates are also available from USD 60 to USD 80, with trips from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to multiple destinations such as Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, Mackay, Port Moresby, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast and Townsville.

New Zealand

Those who wish to discover New Zealand can kick-off their trips with an attractive all-inclusive fare of just USD800. Through Singapore Airlines’ partnership with Air New Zealand, passengers can make their adventure more exciting with the all-inclusive one-way add-on rates from just USD100 to either Queenstown or Wellington. 

Europe

This offer with VISA is also extended to European destinations namely Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Manchester, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Rome and Zurich from USD 890. The special deal covers options to hop on from select cities to other favorite destinations such as Brussels, Dublin, Geneva, Hamburg, Madrid, Venice, Vienna via SIA’s airlines partners from just USD 60 to USD 120.

30kg baggage allowance, KrisWorld and KrisFlyer

The Economy Class fares come with 30kg baggage allowance, delectable inflight meals and personal KrisWorld inflight entertainment system on Singapore Airlines flights. Customers will also earn KrisFlyer miles that can be redeemed for future flights. Sign-up for free at krisflyer.com and subscribe to the e-newsletter to be among the first to receive the latest promotions of Singapore Airlines. 

Complimentary SGD20 Changi Dollar Voucher & Free City Tour

Passengers travelling beyond Singapore can also redeem a complimentary SGD20 Changi Dollar Voucher which can be used with no minimum purchase, at participating shops, restaurants and lounge at the Singapore Changi Airport. Free city tours await for transit passengers with at least 5-hour transit time.

The promotion is exclusive to Visa credit, debit and prepaid cardholders, valid for sale from 05 October until 31 October 2015 for travel out of Manila until 19 March 2016. For travel out of Cebu, Davao and Kalibo to Singapore and Australia, surcharges may apply. For bookings, visit Singapore Airlines or SilkAir Ticketing & Reservations offices, participating travel agents, or via singaporeair.com using promo code 328936256. 

Singapore Airlines flies from Manila to Singapore four times daily which conveniently connect to onward flights to the rest of the world. For more information, visit singaporeair.com

Facebook.com/SingaporeAir 

Twitter.com/SingaporeAir

linkedin.com/company/singapore-airlines

plus.google.com/+SingaporeAir

YouTube.com/SingaporeAir

Instagram.com/SingaporeAir

DepEd celebrates teachers as living heroes, culminates World Teachers’ Day

Tweet

Recognizing the vital contribution of Filipino teachers in institutionalizing educational reforms in the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) and its partners celebrated this year’s World Teachers’ Day (WTD) at Araullo University in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija on October 5. 

Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC emphasized the great responsibility of every teacher in preparing the Filipino youth to be better equipped for the world. He said, “If all the teachers in the country start to move as one, we will start the biggest revolution in education.”

“The revolution in education is a revolution that will change the country and bring about all of the dreams and hopes of our young people... If you want to transform our country, we need living heroes,” he added.

Themed as “My Teacher, My Hero,” this year’s celebration highlighted the integral role of educators as prime movers and catalysts to extend the last mile efforts of DepEd and the K to 12 education reform for the delivery of quality education.

The event which gathered around 4,000 public school teachers from Regions I, II, III, and Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) culminated the month-long celebration to express the education agency’s sincere gratitude for teachers’ important role in institutionalizing the reform efforts of the Department.

President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared September 5 to October 5 every year as National Teachers’ Month (NTM) through Presidential Proclamation 242 signed in 2011.

Christmas comes early with Cohen

Tweet

Christmas comes early for enrollees at the Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre (CLC). 

For choosing the right way to eat, they will be rewarded with a healthy body – and cash from the CLC. That’s money they can spend on Christmas gifts for their loved ones, or all the new outfits they will need for the holiday parties. 

Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre, the name behind the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program, presents the CLC Pounds for Cash Promo. Under the promo, first time enrollees who sign up for the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program from September 15 to October 15, 2015 will be rewarded for making progress towards their weight-loss goals. CLC will offer a Php5,000 cashback for a minimum of 10 lbs. lost per weigh-in, which will be redeemable from December 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015.

The Cohen’s Lifestyle Program is a rapid weight-loss and wellness solution developed by Dr. Rami Cohen, an international specialist renowned for his research on hormones involved in obesity and weight loss. In the Philippines, it is exclusively available at the Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre (CLC). 

Based on every person’s unique blood profile, the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program features a personalized eating plan that will correct the hormonal imbalance causing obesity. It uses food to trigger the body’s natural fat burning mechanism by correcting serum insulin, Human Growth Hormone and serotonin levels. Without requiring exercise, injection, or intake of pills, Cohen clients average a loss of up to 8 to 10 lbs a month.

Losing weight has never been more rewarding with this cash-back promo. Just in time to start the New Year right, enrollees will not only lose weight through Cohen’s Lifestyle Program’s rapid and effective weight loss solution, they will also get their cash back for a minimum of 10 lbs. lost per weigh-in!

For more on the CLC Pounds for Cash promo, get in touch with any of the CLC Philippines branches in Manila, Cebu and Davao. The Manila branch is located at Suite 808 The Infinity, 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, with tel. no. (+632) 828-8251. In Cebu, it is at Suite 421, 4th Floor, Robinsons Cybergate Cebu, Don Gil Garcia and J. Llorente Streets, Capitol Site, Cebu City, with tel. no. (+6332) 236-2334. And in Davao, CLC is based at Suite S302 Metro Davao and Medical Research Center Health and Wellness Center, JP Laurel, Bajada, Davao City, with tel. no. (+6382) 324-4611.

Interested parties may also visit http://www.cohenlifestyle.com.ph.