Bundling Tablet With Landline And DSL Service
The nation’s largest telecommunications company, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) is revolutionizing its fixed line business with a new offering that bundles a landline service with a touch-screen tablet and a high speed myDSL service all under one service plan. A few days ago, the company introduced the new service plan that goes with the PLDT TelPad, a special handset that also serves as a charging dock for an application-rich, 7-inch screen tablet computer (Tablet PC). Subscribers can use the handset or the Tablet PC to make and receive phone calls and access over a hundred thousand online applications. This is on top of the unlimited broadband access of the bundled service. The bundled Tablet PC with landline service and DSL connection will be available in early January 2011.
The promotional pitch of PLDT’s new service plan is very inviting to its target market especially with the current hype on Apple’s iPad or its equivalents. More so for the PLDT TelPad which is touted to be engineered by Filipinos specifically to reinvent the landline and take on the emerging digital lifestyle and the growing consumer appetite for rich multi-media content. With only additional Five Hundred (PhP500.00) Pesos per month on their monthly landline and unlimited internet connection charge, an existing PLDT subscriber will get to use the PLDT TelPad plus a 500 kbps upgrade on his connection speed. The availment of the promo will, however, lock-in the subscriber for thirty-six (36) months.
Some friends who are qualified to avail of the new PLDT service plan for only an additional PhP500.00 per month on their subscriptions sought my advice so I called the company’s customer service desk and inquired about the unpublished terms and conditions of the plan plus the other specifications of the PLDT TelPad tablet that are not mentioned on their press releases. Here are the information I gathered which could help in making the decision to avail of the new plan:
- The subscriber will need a wireless router (not part of the package) for the tablet to work when undocked (removed from the charger base). The customer service representative cannot confirm to me if the tablet when docked can already do internet browsing without the wireless router.
- The tablet is WiFi-capable (can connect to wireless local area network) only. It cannot connect to a mobile internet service (not 3G-capable) such as Smart Bro, Globe Tattoo and Sun Wireless Broadband.
- The PLDT TelPad will not belong to the subscriber after the 36-month lock-in period. It will have to be returned to PLDT when the service is terminated.
With the above information, I advised my friends to think twice before availing of the new service plan. They could be better off buying the iPad or some emerging Android-based tablet computers. What’s your take on the new PLDT TelPad service plan?
I am also tempted to avail of this package.. But hesitated when I saw the term that the device will be PLDT”s property even after the term (which is very absurd, I wonder how much this device cost from the manufacturer). I wouldn’t mind the 36 months lock in period if the device will be mine after the term, but it’s not, I’ll just save for a smart phone with 3g capability. 500 pesos within 36 months is already 18000 pesos, that’s enough for a good smartphone (or cheap/low end tablet).
Yes, that’s what killed my enthusiasm. The TelPad will never be ours. The other thing is its being non-3G capable. You cannot use it in a bus or inside your car. It will be like another toy in your house.