Smart Communications is a wholly owned mobile phone and Internet service subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).
On June 30, 2010 the company reported that it had over 45 million cellular subscribers.
Anticipating the liberalization of the telecommunications industry in the Philippines in 1992, Smart (then named Smart Information Technology, Inc.) was organized in January 24, 1991 by a group of Filipino investors led by Orlando B. Vea and David T. Fernando.
The Company obtained its congressional franchise in April 1992 and was granted a provisional authority to operate a mobile cellular service in May 1993. In December 1993, Smart commenced commercial operations of its cellular service.
By then, Smart had drawn in strategic partners who brought in managerial and technical expertise, and, contributed substantial financial resources. These were: First Pacific, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate through its Philippine flagship Metro Pacific Investments Corporation and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone of Japan (NTT) – one of the world’s largest telecommunications company.
In compliance with the government’s telecommunications program, Smart established a local exchange service in the cities and provinces assigned to it under the “service area scheme.” The Company also obtained licenses to provide international gateway, paging and inter-carrier transmission services.
On March 24, 2000, PLDT completed its share-swap acquisition of Smart, making Smart a 100%-owned PLDT subsidiary.
Globe Telecom (PSE: GLO), commonly known as Globe, is a telecommunications company in the Philippines. Globe provides mobile, fixed line, and broadband Internet services.
Red Mobile (also red mobile), formerly ümobile and legally as Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise, Inc. (CURE), is a wholly owned subsidiary of Smart Communications, the Philippines' largest mobile telecommunications company. When it was initially launched as ümobile, it used the CURE Universal Mobile Telecommunications System network. At that time, it offered its services through an invitation-based, ad-supported platform, catering to middle and upper-class subscribers between the ages of 15 and 35, devoting its services to that demographic. After re-branding as RED MOBILE both the ad-supported revenue platform and invitation system were scrapped in favor of a more traditional marketing and revenue-generating approach. In March 2010, Red Mobile started promoting its unlimited service offerings. However, subscribers started reporting on online social networks that the CURE UMTS network has since been converted to a GSM network.
TM, also known as Touch Mobile and "Republika ng TM", is a cellular service brand of Globe Telecom, the second largest telecommunications company in the Philippines. TM was launched on September 12, 2001 to provide prepaid mobile services to the middle income market. Over the years, TM has evolved its services to cover lower-income groups as well. Today, TM is Globe Telecom’s value brand offering. The service has gained popularity because of its very affordable text and call promo offers and is also known to lead in “All Network” text and call promo offers that enable TM subscribers to communicate to other local SIM users (Globe, Smart, Talk N’ Text, Sun and Red Mobile) at very affordable rates.
