CURE, the Fourth 3G Operator
Posted Thursday, January 4th, 2007 11:53 pm by Miguel Paraz
Viewed 9692 times | Related entries: Telecoms
A year ago, NTC granted 3G licenses to fourth operators. Those of us with 3G are either on Smart or Globe. Sun Cellular has not yet disclosed their plans.
The fourth operator, CURE, is still unknown to us all.
I came across an interview with CURE’s president, Eric Recto, which gives us more info about this new 3G operator. I also found that CURE has a website with some info.
So if you’re tired of Smart or Globe 3G, maybe they have the solution.
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20 Responses to “CURE, the Fourth 3G Operator”
Actually there are 5 telcos in the Philippines but the 5th wont prolly show its head until the end of the year only that its network will not be GSM/WCDMA based and its prolly more suited to offer 4G WiMAX services (http://corruptedpartition.blogspot.com/2007/01/dawn-of-4g-wimax-and-5-giants.html)
hmmm… never thought WiMax would arrive on our country this early, but it’d be pretty interesting to see what WiMax can do. =)
If it’s a WiMax operator, then it’s for WiFi-type equipment like laptops, and not handsets, no?
qodie,
why do you cluster them as 5 giants wherein 3G frequencies were awarded to 4 players by the NTC, if the fifth won’t be using 3G, eh why should we say that your secret 5th player would be the 5th? Nde naman siya apples to apples IMHO. Hence 2.5G licenses is not equal to having a 3G license, they’re different.
The 3G license was a requirement the gov’t imposed, you now.. NTC.. license.. bid.. cashing!
so it doesnt matter even if 3G’s life is just about 2-3 years, they just needed quick money.
The NTC had five 3G licenses to grant (actually they’re not licenses, they are allocations of frequency in the range earmarked for “3G services”).
The first four were awarded to Smart, Globe, Sun and Cure. The fifth is contested, with Braodband Philippines and Bayantel as the front-runners.
Mr. Recto’s comment about “no baggage” being an advantage is true; just look at how Smart and Globe pushed their 3G offerings and you know we’re just going to have more of the same from the giants.
Sun may take a while to deploy any 3G services. They are looking at a very expensive option of upgrading their 2.5G GSM network to 3G WCDMA (the logical 3G choice for a GSM operator). The fact that their sister company Digitel has already started toying with CDMA2000 (a competing 3G standard) makes it an even more complicated decision.
Cure to my knowledge has no network in the ground as of today. Their play may be consumer-3G (high cost of entry) or it may be WiMax or muni-WiFi (lower cost of entry). They are currently trying to attract management talent for their ranks.
Broadband Philippines has a CDMA2000 network in Metro Manila covering just the CBDs and key residential areas. CDMA2000 is a 3G-compliant technology but they can’t call it that because they aren’t “licensed”.
happy 2 b nobody, thanks for the rundown. Yes the CDMA2000 players are not well publicized.
Hopefully if and when I get more info I can write another article about the “other” emerging 3G/broadband wireless operators.
As for “baggage,” just see the Smart and Globe 3G flame threads here and in other blogs!
i hope somebody too can review the existing WLL operators using the WCDMA2000 such as Digitel’s Mango, Bayantel’s SPAN and others which offer limited mobility on their local exchange areas.
would like to try and answer your query, but i placed it in the ptb forum instead (http://www.pinoytechblog.com/community/comments.php?DiscussionID=19&page=1#Item_2) it seems like a topic that will generate a lot of talk!
I wonderin why CURE was given a license despite to operate for 3G…As far as I know 3G license are being given to TELCOS who are already operating….Hmmm something FISHY
According to the NTC regulations, the 3G operator does not need an operating service. They need to have a congressional franchise.
I was wondering if part of CURE’s 3G plan is to partner with foreign telco. Smart has NTT DOCOMO. Globe has Singtel.
Is SUN partnering with a foreign telco as well for implementing 3G?
CURE is controlled by ISM Communications also the current majority owner of Eastern Telecoms and Philweb.Craig Ehrlich the chairman of GSM Association is also the vice chairman of ISM and director of Philweb. Ehrlich is still connected with Hutchison Mobile Communications (3G) of Hongkong.
Eric Recto is the President of these 3 companies (CURE, ETPI and Philweb)
My guess is CURE has the backing of Hutchison Group through Ehrlich
Good point connecting ETPI and CURE. It looks like ETPI has a good amount of international bandwidth, but has limited local loop. Delivering it through the air makes sense.
any idea with regards to the hiring process of CURE..any website i can check?
CURE has a Careers page.
Seems the site of Cure is not working..
oi mga taga sun cellular..hehehe..maglagay naman kayo ng sun cellular cell site d2 sa amin..d2 sa BORONGAN CITY, Eastern SAMAR… im sure madami gagamit ng sun cellular dahil sa pang-gagagong ginawa ng globe!!! bilisan niu nah,…mag-construct na agad kau d2..hehe..mag aantay kami..PEOPLE OF BORONGAN CITY
malabo na Broadband Phils kay Joey de Venecia yan;
ngayon nga ride-on na lang sila sa Bayantel network
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