Globe, the telecom giant that turned Filipinos on to texting, is now looking to bring telebabad back.
With Duo, its latest service, mobile phone users can make unlimited calls to landlines and other Duo-ready phones for a fixed subscription fee. The service is currently available in Metro Manila and Cebu for both Globe prepaid and postpaid subscribers.
Duo is described as “mobile-and-landline in one” because it stores 2 numbers -- one mobile and one landline -- in your mobile phone’s SIM card. This allows cellphone owners to use their phones like landlines, i.e., they can now make as many calls as they need to, and talk for as long as they want.
According to Menchie Orlina, Globe Telecom’s Chief Marketing Officer, this service is the first of its kind not only in the Philippines, but in the whole world. She adds “The introduction of Duo is continuing proof of the pioneering culture at Globe. This will certainly impact the way we connect and communicate with one another.”
The new technology aims to makes expensive mobile-to-landline calls a thing of the past. Orlina points out that “(Duo) is easy and convenient to use because unlike the offers from other telcos, there is no need for separate handsets, two SIMs or a dual SIM phone to avail of Duo.”
So far, early Duo users have noted significant savings on their phone bills. As with a landline, they only have to pay a fixed subscription fee to make calls. And being able to call other Duo mobile phone users with no additional charges makes it better than a landline. The convenience of having to carry around only one phone made a big difference as well.
Today’s lifestyle is a mobile one. Students, professionals, executives are always on the go --- and wherever they are, they seek constant communication with all quarters.
“Technology today drives innovators (toward) convergence, as the market demands more efficient and effective means of communicating,” says Ferdinand de la Cruz, head of Globe Telecom’s Consumer Wireless Business Group. “For this reason, Globe is breaking the barriers between mobile and landline services by coming up with this revolutionary two-in-one service.”
De la Cruz is referring to Duo, the world’s first fully-convergent solution that works across both fixed and mobile networks for cell phone users. Together with Acision, the world’s leading messaging company, Globe launched this breakthrough service last April to boost voice network traffic by offering unlimited calling within a set city zone.
Ernest Cu, Globe’s President and CEO is elated by the company’s pioneering coup. “We are excited to offer the public another pioneering service from Globe. Globe has always been at the forefront of service innovation to deliver superior value and the best mobile experience for consumers.”
With the demand for greater connectivity rising exponentially, there are more and more cell phone owners carrying more than one unit around. One unit is for making landline calls, another is for sending text messages and mobile calls; one is for one telco’s network, and a second for the others on another telco’s network.
Wouldn’t it be easier if one phone could manage all that --- efficiently and affordably?
Globe’s Duo aims to provide consumers the benefits of having a landline and a mobile in one phone. One SIM, two numbers --- that is Duo in a nutshell.
What are the benefits of having two numbers in one SIM? Let us count the ways:
Battle the bulge no more. All you need is one phone in your pocket.
A call is worth a thousand messages. Perhaps an exaggeration, but clearly a voice conversation covers more ground than several text messages strung up together. Duo’s meter-free calling allows you all the calls you need to make --- to any of millions of landlines in Metro Manila or Cebu, and to the growing list of Duo subscribers in your city area as well.
Two numbers make you doubly accessible. Just as you can freely call landlines, so can landlines freely call you --- even when you’re moving around town. Your children can now call you from your home, same as your office.
Best of all, Duo may significantly reduce your phone bill. After all, once you enjoy calling freely, will you still text as much as you used to?
As Ferdinand dela Cruz, Head of Globe’s Consumer Wireless Business Group, points out: "Ease and relevance has always been our thrust in Globe. We strive to bring to consumers services that will enrich their lives."
Mission accomplished, it seems.
Two telephone numbers in your mobile phone? One a landline, the other a mobile number? The thought boggles the mind, doesn’t it?
Globe’s Duo service is described as a “mobile-and-landline in one.” Already, that raises many questions from mobile phone users:
“Can a Globe Duo call a PLDT landline?” “Claro ba ang signal?”
“Do I have to choose which number to use when calling?” “What if someone calls me --- which number is it calling?”
“Are there new prefixes to remember when calling a landline or a cell phone?”
“If someone calls my landline number, will I get to see who’s calling me --- like I do now with my regular cell phone?”
As with all new technology, Duo may take some getting used to. But as most early Duo subscribers have found out, Duo is really easy to use.
To answer some of the more common questions:
Existing Globe subscribers can use their existing SIMs! Just text the following:
For Postpaid
DUO
DUO
For Prepaid
DUO 25 to 8888 for all-day unlimited calls
DUO 125 to 8888 for 5 days of unlimited calls
DUO 350 to 8888 for 14 days of unlimited calls
DUO 450 to 8888 for 30 days of unlimited calls
Yes, your Duo phone can call PLDT, Bayantel and Digitel landlines and Duo to Duo cellphones limitlessly, and reports say that the signal is clear.
No, you don’t have to choose which number to use. If you call a landline, your phone will automatically use your Duo landline. If you’re calling a cellphone number, it will use your Duo mobile number. Note, however, that call rates apply if you’re calling non-Duo or non-Globe cell phone numbers, and if you’re calling outside of your area coverage, which is currently Metro Manila and Cebu.
There are no new prefixes to remember. You can use the ones you currently use (02 for landline calls within Metro Manila, etc.).
And yes, Duo has Caller ID. If your cellphone model has the feature, Duo can even take conference calls.
So much talk about it. But really, it’s a piece of cake --- which means it’s worth trying!
Consumers are constantly barraged by offers from telecom companies. They promise unlimited calling, unlimited texting, mobile-landline connectivity, and a slew of other services at the lowest rates possible. But which of these offers actually deliver?
There are currently four other telecom companies in the market that offer similar services--PLDT Landlines Plus, Bayan Wireless Landlines, Sun Cellular’s Double Unlimited Plan, and Smartalk. Globe recently came out with Duo--a 2-in-1 landline and mobile service. Sceptical consumers might ask, is Duo simply Globe’s version of unlimited calling? How is it different?
Duo utilizes a different technology. Globe teamed up with Acision, the world’s leading messaging company, to design a service that allows you to call any landline and any duo-ready mobile phone. Duo allows you to have a mobile and a landline in one phone. In comparison, Sun Cellular’s 24/7 call and text unlimited, and Smart Communication’s Smarttalk, are just price cuts. They offer unlimited mobile-to mobile calls but only to subscribers within the same network. If your contacts are not Smart or Sun users, then you can’t make the most of their offer.
PLDT Landlines Plus offers a similar mobile to landline connectivity. It allows you to make unlimited landline calls and texts for a fixed monthly rate. But once you exceed your plan’s free allocation, you are charged by the minute. With Duo, you don’t have to keep track of the minutes you consume because it is unlimited. Telecom companies present competitive prices to give consumers more value for their money. Bayan Wireless Landline costs P499 per month, PLDT Landline Plus is P600 per month, and SunTel Wireless Landline costs P499 per month. Globe DUO Postpaid Plan has the most affordable rate at only P399 per month. Early subscribers note that Duo also allows them to save significantly on their monthly phone bills.
With PLDT and Bayan’s offers you need an additional handset for the service. You might have to pay an additional P1000 for a PLDT Landlines Plus handset. Sun Cellular’s Double Unlimited Plan provides you a dual SIM phone. But the problem with dual SIM phones is that whenever SIM1 is active in calls, SIM2 cannot receive calls or even SMS. So if you're talking to someone using your regular Sun Postpaid line, you cannot accept incoming calls on your SunTel wireless landline. Duo doesn’t require any additional handsets. With Duo you just have one SIM with your duo landline number and mobile number stored in it. You are easily accessible.
To apply to Bayan, you have to submit some requirements. With Duo, you can just subscribe through text. Application is simple and hassle-free.
Consumers need to sift through the marketing ploys to find the service that really works for them. When it comes to affordability, practicality, and uniqueness of the product, it seems that Duo has the edge.
As more and more people are discovering, Duo is bringing back the joy of talking on the phone.
Today, one no longer has to worry about the bill his call is chalking up. Because at the heart of Duo’s breakthrough technology is economy for all, i.e., phone calls made cheaper.
Ever since Globe Telecom introduced Duo last April, consumers have been responding positively to the service. One subscriber reported that with Duo, her monthly phone bill has been reduced by over 50%. Another happy subscriber told a Globe officer that he has given his company’s field managers Duo SIMs, so that he can receive detailed updates from them anytime during the day.
Apart from the substantial savings one can enjoy, Duo holds other advantages for users.
Affordable plans: Globe post-paid subscribers just pay an additional P399 every 30 days for the service, while pre-paid subs can get Duo loads of as low as P450 for 30 days, P125 for 5 days or P25 per day of meter-free calling.
Easy to use: other phones carry 2 SIMs, but Duo is the real 2-in-1. No need to have a second phone around, because a Duo-enabled phone does both landline and mobile phone calls. And no need to memorize prefixes when calling or being called, as Duo’s technology matches landline to landline, Duo mobile to Duo mobile.
Clearly, in many Duo users’ hearts and minds, the service has set the standard for other telcos to follow.
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