Get your hands on the notched beauty of Vivo Y85 for Php11,999

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Global smartphone brand Vivo has a treat for its loyal customers: the Y85 is now available for Php11,999 or Php2,000 less its original retail price.

The Y series smartphone was first introduced in May. It has a 6.22-inch 19:9 high definition FullView™ Display with an 88% screen-to-body ratio.

Vivo Global Philippines  ( http://vivoglobal.ph/vivo-phones/vivo_y85/) also boasts of a 13-megapixel plus 2MP dual rear camera that can produce 52MP Ultra HD photos. This smartphone also has a Face ID Access, apart from the fingerprint scanner, to ensure hassle-free unlocking especially for those on-the-go.

The smartphone also has an 8MP front camera with AI Face Beauty and Portrait capabilities that bring the user’s natural beauty in every selfie.

The Y85 also has a 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage running on a 12nm octa-core processor with an Android 8.1-based Funtouch OS 4.0 operating system. These specs ensure that the smartphone can handle multiple and complex tasks to keep up with every digital native’s lifestyle.

The Android 8.1 OS also complements the smartphone’s 3260mAh battery to ensure longer battery life.

The Vivo Y85 is available in black and red. It has a 2.5D subtle curved edges flow at the back and the front. The sleek back cover even gleams in the light for those who want to standout from the crowd. 

About Vivo

A global smartphone brand focused on introducing perfect sound quality and ultimate photography with cutting-edge technology, Vivo develops innovative and stylish products for young people. We now have over two hundred million users and are one of the preferred brands of young people around the world. As an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™, Vivo believes in the importance of encouraging young people to embrace self-expression and an energetic lifestyle. In the Philippines, Vivo is the top 3 smartphone brand in terms of market share with 1.5 million users nationwide.

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at vivoglobal.ph or check out their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vivophil), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vivo_philippines/), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/vivo_phil) accounts.

PLDT Home, the country’s No.1 home broadband, launches its first prepaid broadband service

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With the company’s vision of bringing world-class Internet to Filipino families, PLDT has launched its first ever PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi, an affordable service that makes it easier than ever for more families to enjoy their online activities in the comfort of their home.

The PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is a plug and play device that instantly connects you to the Internet. Once plugged into a power source, it can simultaneously connect up to 5 WiFi-ready devices, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, to high-speed Internet.

Unlike the regular Pocket WiFi which is meant for users on the go, the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is specially designed for home use as it utilizes the LTE 700MHZ band, a low frequency that easily penetrates houses and buildings. This way, the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is able to deliver high-speed Internet indoors – whether in the living room, kitchen, or bedroom.

PLDT’s pinakasulit Home Internet

Aside from being affordable, PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi also lets you enjoy PLDT Home’spinakasulit Internet with the Home Boost 15, which comes with 1GB valid for 1 day for only Php15. You can enjoy Home Boost 15 as an add-on to promos like Home Boost 50 or up, for greater savings.

With the PLDT Prepaid Home Wifi, families can learn together and research for school; bond by streaming videos and music; stay active on their favorite apps; or catch up with loved ones and friends on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter – all in the comfort of their homes.

And because it is prepaid, there’s no need to worry about monthly bill payments, lock-in period, or uncontrolled data usage because customers simply have to load it up and register to promos that suit their family’s needs.

Powered by the Philippines’ fastest mobile Internet

The PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is powered Smart’s LTE network, the Philippines’s fastest mobile Internet, according to the latest Speedtest® report of Ookla, the global leader in Internet testing and analysis.

In its analysis of over 2 million user-generated tests on LTE devices in the Philippines from Q1 to Q2 of 2018, Ookla said Smart provided the country’s fastest LTE connection with average download speeds of 17.25 Mbps, and average upload speeds of 7.65 Mbps.

On the other hand, UK-based mobile analytics firm OpenSignal also recognized Smart for having the country’s fastest LTE network, bestowing the company four citations in its March 2018 report: best in 4G LTE download speed; best in overall download speed; best 4G latency performance; and best 3G latency performance.

High-speed Smart LTE now covers major urban areas including Metro Manila, Rizal, Cebu, and Davao, and top sites in Bacolod, Baguio, Baler, Batanes, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Laguna, Leyte, Palawan, Sagada, Sarangani, and Zamboanga, among others.

Get the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi with FREE 10GB for only P1,995

The PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi is now available at all PLDT Stores and retailers nationwide and comes with FREE 10GB, valid for 7 days, for a one-time payment of only Php1,995.

FINTQ’s online lending platform Lendr also makes it easier for customers to get hold of the PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi via affordable installment payments.

With Lendr, customers can buy the device for an initial low cash-out of Php495, followed by six weekly payments of Php370, which can be paid through any Smart Padala center, Bayad Center, ECPay, and 7-Eleven outlets. They simply need to visit https://pldthomewifi.lendr.com.ph to create an account, complete the application form and apply for a loan to purchase the device. FINTQ is the financial technology arm of Voyager Innovations--the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart.

What are you waiting for?  Get your own PLDT Home Prepaid WiFi now! To know more, visitwww.pldthome.com and follow PLDT’s official accounts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/PLDTHome) and Twitter (@PLDTHome).

Live network by first half of 2019: Smart and Ericsson to deploy 5G in PH

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PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and Ericsson have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deploy the country’s first 5G pilot network by the first half of 2019.

Smart and Ericsson team up for 5G in PH. At the signing were PLDT Chief Corporate Services Officer Ray C. Espinosa, PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ericsson Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India Nunzio Mirtillo and Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Pacific Islands.

Smart and Ericsson team up for 5G in PH. At the signing were PLDT Chief Corporate Services Officer Ray C. Espinosa, PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ericsson Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India Nunzio Mirtillo and Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Pacific Islands.

Under the MoU, the 5G network will be first deployed in Luzon, the country’s largest and most populous island where about a third of the population work and live.

The 3GPP compliant 5G Trial System that will be deployed in Smart includes Ericsson 5G RAN, Core and Transport solutions. The 5G pilot deployment will allow Smart to explore industry partnership engagements, collaborate with schools and universities, and further develop competence in 5G.

“As 5G opens up more opportunities for new services and solutions to offer to our customers, we are investing in future-proofing our network and making sure that our network is ready for 5G,” said PLDT-Smart chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.

“Our partnership with Ericsson is part of our commitment to bring to the country the latest technologies to improve the experience of our customers, as well as boost the digital transformation of enterprises and industries,” he added.

“We are happy to partner with Smart to pioneer 5G in the Philippines. We believe first movers in 5G can reshape the market, grow market share and increase revenue streams. Combining improved capacity and ultra-low latency, 5G will help realize new use cases and business models and capture new revenue opportunities by addressing industry digitalization,” said Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Pacific Islands.

All set for 5G. Gracing the MoU signing were Ericsson vice president and key account manager Anthony Valdez, PLDT-Smart Chief Technology and Information Advisor Joachim Horn, PLDT Chief Corporate Services Officer Ray C. Espinosa, PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ericsson Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania and India Nunzio Mirtillo, PLDT-Smart Chief Revenue Officer Eric Alberto, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and Pacific Islands Martin Wiktorin and PLDT-Smart head of Consumer Business for Customer Development Alex O. Caeg.

Future-proofed network

“To be able to deliver 5G services to its customers in the future, Smart is upgrading its network’s Core and Transport elements. This includes upgrading to fiber the backhaul connecting the network’s cell sites around the country and deploying 5G-ready equipment in the ongoing LTE roll-out,” according to Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT and Smart Senior Vice President for Network Planning and Engineering.

“As we continue to ramp up the roll-out of LTE, LTE-Advanced and carrier aggregation technology nationwide, we are also making sure that these are already future-proof and 5G-capable,” Tamayo added.

Under its current upgrades, Smart is installing 5G-compatible radio equipment across its network, which now has over 2,000 5G-ready sites.

Exciting possibilities

With its capability to deliver extremely high speeds coupled with low latency, 5G opens up exciting possibilities for Internet of Things (IoT) applications for Filipinos, particularly in healthcare and smart cities.

Smart has been testing 5G since 2016, when it achieved with technology partner Nokia 5G speeds of 2.5 Gigabits per second (Gbps) using 100 MHz with latency of just 1 millisecond over a ‘live’ network--the first in the Philippines.

Months later, PLDT and Smart announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with technology partner Huawei Technologies Phils. “to shape the strategic and commercial development of the 5G ecosystem in the Philippines.” In particular, the two parties were looking to identify and develop the areas of technological innovation needed to deliver 5G, which is expected to provide the foundation for the digital connected society.

In June, Smart launched its 5G TechnoLab, which is the company’s flagship facility for the research and development, standardization, and testing of 5G and is designed to be a sustainable environment for innovative services.

With Huawei, Smart also successfully breached 5G speeds of over 14Gbps in a test held at the 5G TechnoLab using 5G New Radio, in which the second set of global standards have been recently ratified.

Parent company PLDT has committed historic levels of resources for network transformation. For 2018, PLDT capex is expected to reach P58 billion, which includes allocations for the aggressive roll-out of its fiber broadband service, which also supports the stepped-up deployment of the mobile network by providing high-capacity links for cellular base stations.

Converge ICT Gears Up for Nationwide Rollout

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Converge ICT Solutions Inc. announced today that it has intensified efforts to lay the groundwork for a nationwide rollout, seeking to provide its pure fiber internet connectivity for more households and enterprises.

Premier pure fiber internet provider taps experienced industry partners to fast-track nationwide rollout, eyes exponential growth with the aim to bring better connectivity for the Philippines

In a strategic partnership with several local and foreign companies such as Korea Telecoms, LSI-Fibernet Konstruk Corporation, and TE Connectivity Subcom, Converge ICT Solutions shared its mission to fast-track the completion of its massive, nationwide network rollout to the public. These efforts are sustained as part of an ongoing campaign spearheaded by Converge to provide an advanced and reliable backbone of internet connectivity for more Filipino households and enterprises.

Chosen for their wide-ranging technical expertise and extensive business portfolios in the IT industry, Converge ICT Solutions´ new partners will help build and deploy the infrastructures necessary to provide pure end-to-end fiber internet connectivity at a nationwide scale. With the combined strength of its partners´ industry credentials and financial backings, Converge is taking bold steps ahead of the curve, leading the way towards building and connecting the Filipino people with better and more reliable internet infrastructures.

This vision is something which Converge President and CEO Dennis Uy firmly believes would serve as a catalyst for social and economic progress, helping everyone from ordinary Filipino netizens trying to connect with loved ones from around the world; to small and medium businesses trying to grow their ideas, as well helping accelerate the Philippine government´s ongoing IT projects designed to serve the Filipino people. With this in mind, Converge´s humble efforts seek to help prepare, lift, and further open the Philippines to global competitiveness, leveraging its unique and strategic position in the burgeoning Asian economy.

“We have set our sights to bring the best internet connectivity by starting in Metro Manila and some key provinces in Luzon. By going nationwide, we can do more rollouts and more installations in other islands in the Philippines, helping more people connect with one another through our infrastructure” Uy shared passionately.

According to Mr. Miles Tonn Chua, Chief Operating Officer of MetroWorks ICT Construction, Inc. (a subsidiary of Converge ICT) the total flow of investments is estimated at US$ 2 billion for the next 5 years. The rollout currently being executed has the potential to reach more than 13 million of the 22 million households nationwide, particularly the major islands situated in Visayas and Mindanao. Chua shared that the project is a 5-year plan, and the network backbones are targeted to be completed by 2021 but would be operational through different phases to enable the project to become complete prior to 2021.

The partnerships are slated to implement both Full Turn Key (FTK) and Semi-Turn Key (STK) approaches, according to Chua. FTK entails an end-to-end approach, which includes supply for imported materials and provides services up to acceptance. The STK approach, on the other hand, is where the Converge Group provides owner-supplied materials, an approach that is practical especially for demographics which include National Capital Region. The partnership is currently both in ongoing implementation and final negotiation stages.

“With more projects to be completed, it will certainly contribute to the growth of Converge ICT, which is expected to be exponential,” adds Chua.

Chua also bared that they are looking to enter into more partnerships in the future to further improve its service offerings. “What the public is experiencing now as the best internet service, they can also expect that same kind in the next year or two.” the Converge COO shared.

Lamudi Housing Fair Goes to Cebu

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Lamudi is bringing together property seekers and sellers in the Queen City of the South with the launch of the Cebu Housing Fair

 Find your dream property at the Lamudi Housing Fair in Cebu

MANILA, 10 August 2018—All roads lead to Cebu as the Lamudi Housing Fair sets up at the Queen City of the South on September 8 and 9, 2018 at Ayala Center in Cebu City. Designed to bring property buyers and sellers together, this open-for-all housing fair will feature some of the biggest property brands of the country.

A first for Lamudi

Cebu’s economy has been displaying massive growth for years, driven mainly by tourism and the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industries. According to the Department of Tourism, Central Visayas saw the arrival of over 6.3 million local and foreign tourists in 2017, with Cebu being the top travel hub of the region. Also, the Cebu IT-BPM Organization estimated that Cebu had between 150,000 and 160,000 IT-BPO workers by the end of last year, and that the Cebu City government is targeting the generation of 200,000 jobs in the industry by next year.

The presence of multiple economic zones, where companies enjoy various business incentives, has been attracting major investors, particularly in the IT-BPM sector. Moreover, the recent opening of the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport is projected to increase tourist arrivals and business investments into the province.

Hence, according to Lamudi CEO and Managing Director Bhavna Suresh, the decision to hold the brand’s next housing fair in the province was an easy one to make. With all past housing fairs being hosted in Metro Manila, the Cebu leg of Lamudi’s housing fair series will be the first provincial event for the leading online property portal.

“The massive growth of Cebu City has prompted real estate developers to catch up and supply the much-needed residential, commercial, and retail spaces for home and business relocators. As we have witnessed so far, many of the most prominent names in the property industry have already made a mark in the province through various projects, from condos and subdivisions to townships and business parks,” Suresh explained.

“Lamudi believes that now is the best time to be the stage upon which buyers and sellers can interact and explore the opportunities presented by the flourishing Cebu real estate landscape,” she added.

Home buyers and property seekers at the Lamudi Affordable Housing Fair last June 30-July 1, 2018 at Glorietta.

What to expect

Aspiring new homeowners and real estate investors can look forward to completed and upcoming projects by Primehomes, Ortigas & Company, RFK Holdings, DMCI Homes, Aboitizland Inc., Primary Homes, Softouch Property Development Corp., Avida Land, Contempo Property Holdings, King Properties, and Priland Development Corporation, among others.

UnionBank and RCBC Savings Bank will also be present for buyers in need of home loan assistance to purchase a property.  Plus, the Land Registration Authority will be on hand to give attendees an update on the recent efforts of the agency in terms of protecting land owners.

Aside from being able to inquire directly about the properties on display, buyers can also take advantage of promos and discounts to be offered during the event.

In addition, real estate brokers attending the event will have the opportunity to market their brand and properties through on-the-spot registration to the website, where they can begin uploading their properties to be viewed by Lamudi’s online visitors. Real estate online sales training sessions will also be offered to brokers who are looking to increase lead generation and sales numbers.

“It is indeed an exciting undertaking for Lamudi, and one that we hope to carry out again in the coming years,” Suresh stated.

Join us for two days of property showcases, real estate auctions, and real estate online sales trainings sessions for real estate sales professionals at the Lamudi Housing Fair Cebu happening at the Ayala Center Cebu Exhibit Center on September 8-9, 2018 from 10AM to 10PM. For more information about one of the most exciting housing events of the year, visit the official website.