Sun Cellular Turns up the Heat - 24/7 Call & Text Unlimited

Sun of a gun! The Sun's finally rising!

The 24/7 Call & Text Unlimited service just might be what Sun Cellular needs to finally get mainstreamed in the ocean of 23+ Million Filipino cellphone subscribers.

24/7 Call & Text Unlimited (CTU) let's both pre-paid and post-paid, new and old subscribers make unlimited calls and text messages Sun-to-Sun.

I shrugged off that 24/7 Call & Text Unlimited at first, thought it would be just a cheap trick promo. But after reading the 24/7 discussion on airfagev, I took a second look...

It's true. For P100 (10day CTU expiry) or P250 (30day CTU expiry), you'll be able to call and text as much as you want Sun-to-Sun.

Sun did the right thing. I think they have excess capacity with their existing infrastructure but limited number of subscribers. This promo is sure to increase Sun's subscriber base.

What will happen to the Philippine mobile environment with this service of Sun? Here are my thoughts:

• Sun subscriber base increases
  
• Sun keeps up the service for a few months, maybe 3, 6 or 12 months...
  
• In the process, more people will hold more than two SIMs. Their regular Smart/Globe SIM plus their cele-babad Sun SIM.
  
• People will start giving out Sun cell numbers to their friends
  
• There'll be two layers of cellular networks: 1) Smart-Globe-Sun which charges around P8 per minute for calls. And 2) the Sun network with cele-babad unlimited usage
  
• Long personal calls - the ones usually made among family members during SUNdays - will be made more using Sun and less using Globe or Smart.
  
• Sun's 24/7 CTU service will make a dent in Smart and Globe's Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) - the measure of average telco earnings per subscriber.
  
• The dent will be made in the "Family" and "Teens/Young Adults" urban market segment -- these are the cele-babad inclined people.
  
• Globe/Smart may come out with their own services that will shield the heat of Sun's 24/7 CTU service
  
• Sun's network could reach congestion level such that it will become difficult to call or text using Sun
  
• Before congestion happens, Sun will have to put limits to the service to prevent/reduce congestion. They may start charging higher fees for unlimited calls. Or, they may limit number of call hours or text messages.
  
• Despite these possibilities, Sun will still increase their subscriber base. Even businesses will start using Sun for the unlimited calls. Sun needs to demonstrate network reliability for businesses to start using Sun.

Bottom-line: In a highly aggressive and healthy Telco competition, the subscribers are bound to benefit a whole lot.

Sun should just be careful that their service doesn't deteriorate.

Kundi, baka kantahan ng Globe/Smart ang subscribers ng... "SUN ka man mapunta, babalik ka rin..."

- Edwin
sa BPI Espanya

Read: Sun Cellular Turns up the Heat - More Info, The VAS Difference (Part I), 24/7 discussion on airfagev, Airfagev Moves Mountains

Search Technobiography: Sun

Visit www.suncellular.com.ph or call hotline 395-8000 for more details on the 24/7 Call and Text Unlimited service.