EU sanctions hit SyriaTel

PLDT’s mobile unit Smart Communications released a statement over the weekend in which it revealed a sharp rise in mobile internet usage in the country since the start of the year. The Philippines’ leading mobile operator by subscribers says lower data rates and the increased availability of cheaper smartphones is driving the growth, noting too a six-fold increase in the number of Smart Bro dongles (since February) and a strong uptake in smartphones connected to its network. The local Philippine Daily Inquirer quotes Smart’s chief wireless advisor Orlando B Vea as saying that if the industry had previously harboured doubts about consumer demand for mobile internet in the country, this should put an end to it. [More]

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