Hello, telpad; goodbye, landline?

The country's biggest telecommunications firm, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), said it expects most of its landline subscribers to switch to "tablet" landlines in 3 to 5 years. Of its 1.6 million landline subscribers, PLDT sees that every year, at least 100,000 of them will be converting their old units into a Telpad -- or a landline and broadband DSL service packed in an Android tablet. “Landlines are here to stay but as broadband rushes in we want our subscribers to be able to maximize the data rich and media rich devices out there. We are moving towards data-powered devices as we provide more bandwidth, faster internet speed,” said PLDT spokesperson Mon Isberto on Wednesday, April 11, during a launch event of PLDT Telpad’s exclusive application. “Apart from traditional voice calls, subscribers who will switch to a Telpad can surf the Internet because Telpad is bundled with a broadband service," added Isberto. While the landline business has long been eclipsed by wireless mobile phone services, which suit the communication needs of Filipinos in the country's 7,100 islands and almost 10 million Filipinos abroad, the wireline-based services are also seen as another avenue to introduce new products, mostly as platforms for online or Internet-based services. Isberto explained that PLDT has invested in replacing copper lines for its landline service with fiber lines, which enhances data-rich devices and services like Telpad. "We see its full potential in 3 to 5 years," noted PLDT Home Business head Ariel Fermin. "We have 1.5 to 1.6 million landline subscribers and we are potentially looking at all of them to switch using a Telpad." PLDT launched Telpad in December 2010 and the company is boosting take up by introducing new applications that come along with the unit. The Telpad has two models running on Android platform, with subscribers having access to over 450,000 applications available for download. Anther Telpad unit is also equipped with a 0.3 megapixel (MP) front and a 3 MP rear camera. Each Telpad comes with unlimited calls and unlimited broadband service. Plans start at P1,849 at 1.5mbps.