The race to 3G and the Pinoy mobile subscriber

Oligopolists Globe and Smart and newcomer Sun Cellular are now engaged in a propaganda war on 3G but not one of them has set an exact date and precise terms about their initial 3G offerings.

Consumers should be wary of the situation insofar as this higher level of mobile telephony technology remains in the hands of a companies known for their cartel-like behavior.  While we are all anxious and excited to try out 3G, TXTPower convenors wonder just how much it would cost and whether the common Filipino would be able to tap its full potentials amidst the oligopoly’s profit-only dash and the NTC’s long record of lack of concern for consumers.

Once 3G services are offered, it is only legitimate and correct to expect 1G and 2G services to be offered at lower costs and rates. These services have become cheaper to provide if compared to circa 2000. The quick pace of technology development should result in cheaper provision of previous technologies. Thus, the recent TXTPower statement for the permanent offering of cheaper, unlimited talk and text rates should be matched with action both by the NTC and the service providers.