Globe Achieves PhP113.7B Consolidated Service Revenues for 2015

Taguig—(PHStocks)—Globe Telecom Inc. (PSE: GLO) registered another record year, posting its highest full-year consolidated service revenues of PhP113.7 billion, 15% higher than the previous record level of PhP99 billion in 2014.

Revenues peaked in the fourth quarter, reaching a record high of PhP30.3 billion, up 3% from last quarter and 15% higher than the same quarter in 2014. The sustained revenue trajectory was driven by the solid growth in data consumption across all segments and the consolidation of the performance of Bayan Telecommunications Inc. in the second half of the year. The robust subscriber growth for both mobile and broadband, the increasing demand for mobile data and high-speed internet connectivity for consumer and corporate clients, as well as the sustained execution excellence for the various product launches during the year, have paved the way for Globe’s continued success. Even excluding Bayan’s revenues in the second half of 2015, Globe’s consolidated service revenues grew to PhP110.8 billion, up by 12% from the same period last year.

Mobile revenues grew by 9% year-on-year, reaching PhP85.1 billion in 2015 from the PhP78.1 billion reported a year ago, driven by strong revenues across all mobile brands. Globe Postpaid revenues posted a 7% growth from the same period of 2014 with its continued leadership in this segment as evidenced by the significant customer base expansion year-on-year boosted by the strong take up of the new myLifestyle Plans. TM, the company’s mass-market brand, likewise increased revenues by 14% year-on-year while Globe Prepaid revenues posted a solid growth of 8%. At the end of December 2015, Globe’s mobile subscriber base further breached the 50-million milestone, reaching 52.9 million, up a robust 20% from the 44 million subscribers reported in 2014, driven by the record-level gross acquisitions during the year and lower churn rates in both prepaid brands.

The sustained upsurge in mobile data revenues led to the mobile business’ continued growth trajectory.

Mobile data service revenues reached PhP22.1 billion in 2015, 55% higher than the PhP14.3 billion reported a year ago, as Globe continues to be the brand of choice for the Filipinos’ digital lifestyles. This was driven by sustained improvement in the company’s 3G, HSPA+ and LTE networks, and various data product launches and promotions throughout the year, such as Free FB + Viber with prepaid & GoSurf promos, Spotify with free games and FB and GoSurf offers with bigger data volume allocation and free games, among others. To complement the growth in mobile data services, mobile voice increased 6% year-on-year, despite the challenges posted by the declining international voice business, partially offsetting the 10% decline in SMS revenues.

The Globe Group’s broadband business, which now includes Bayan, likewise sustained its growth momentum, increasing both in revenues and subscriber base by 38% and 55% respectively. Total broadband service revenues reached PhP17.5 billion in 2015, with total subscriber base now reaching 4.3 million. The impressive growth in revenues was driven by subscriber expansion in both wireless (+56%) and wired broadband (+48%) solutions, given the favorable customer response to Globe’s various Tattoo on-the-go and Tattoo@home broadband offerings, bundling broadband plans with access to premium content such as Spotify, NBA League Pass and HOOQ. Even excluding the impact of Bayan’s consolidation in the second half of 2015, Globe’s full year broadband service revenues would have still increased by 27% year-on-year, growing to PhP16.1 billion in 2015 from the PhP12.7 billion recorded a year ago.

Globe’s fixed line data business likewise improved year-on-year by 40% to reach PhP7.7 billion in 2015 from the PhP5.5 billion posted in 2014, as demand for data connectivity continues to surge, impacting customer expansion, circuit count increase and higher usage. The strong demand for internet and domestic leased lines, as well as cloud computing solutions, contributed to the revenue growth in the fixed data business. The growth was likewise driven by the impact of consolidating Bayan’s fixed line data revenues starting the third quarter of 2015. Traditional fixed line voice revenues (now including Bayan), likewise posted a 23% increase year-on-year at PhP3.4 billion as of end 2015 due to the continued popularity of the broadband bundled plans with the subscribers’ preference for value-based offers and low-priced plans. Excluding Bayan’s revenues, fixed line data and fixed line voice increased year-on-year by 21% and 8%, respectively.

The Globe Group posted another record-level consolidated EBITDA for the full year of 2015 at PhP45.8 billion, up a robust 17% from a year ago. Total operating expenses and subsidy grew in step with revenues, higher by 14% year-on-year to PhP67.9 billion from PhP59.8 billion last year, as Globe continued to re-invest gains to support the growing subscriber base and the expansion of its data network.

EBITDA margin was at 40%, on par with the previous year’s margin. Excluding the impact of Bayan’s results for the last two quarters of the year, consolidated EBITDA for the year would have reached PhP44.8 billion, which is still a solid 14% improvement from the previous year.

Driven by the growth in EBITDA, and coupled with lower non-operating expenses recognized during the year just ended, Globe posted an all-time high in net income at PhP16.5 billion, 23% higher against the PhP13.4 billion reported in 2014. The growth in net income was also aided by one-time gains coming from the sale of 51% equity stake in Yondu Inc. and the acquisition of a 98.6% stake in Bayan.

Globe’s core net income, which excludes the impact of non-recurring charges, including these one-time gains from the transactions earlier mentioned and accelerated depreciation charges, foreign exchange and mark-to-market charges, likewise grew by 4% year-on-year to PhP15.1 billion from PhP14.5 billion in Excluding Bayan’s results, Globe’s net income and core net income as of end-December of 2015 still grew robustly by 22% and 5%, respectively, compared to 2014.

“We made history again in 2015 as Globe delivered a banner year, closing 2015 with record revenues, EBITDA and net income. We have proven year after year our strong commitment to create and deliver value for our customers and shareholders. Our latest achievements continue to motivate us to be more efficient, focused and ready to take on new challenges in the year’s ahead,” said Ernest L. Cu, President and CEO of Globe. “As we foresee an increasingly challenging competitive landscape moving forward, we will continue to strengthen our leadership in the digital space, gearing all our efforts toward uplifting the state of internet services in the country and fortifying the Globe brand as a whole to be the customer’s first choice for all their data needs.”

Globe spent around PhP32.1 billion in capital expenditures as of end-December of 2015 to support the growing subscriber base and its demand for data. Of the total capital expenditures spent this year, close to half was for the data service needs of its customers. To date, Globe has a total of 28,336 base stations, with over 18,300 for 4G1, to support the service requirements of its customers.

Recent Developments

Last November 12, 2015, Globe received the resolution from the rehabilitation court granting its motion for the termination of the rehabilitation proceedings involving Bayan. The resolution sets a key milestone for Bayan, wherein it successfully exits rehabilitation and provides key opportunities for Globe to continue to unlock prospects for synergies with Bayan.

In 25 January 2016, the Court of Appeals (CA) denied the plea of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT, PSE: TEL) to reverse its earlier decision allowing the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to continue its proceedings in connection with the bid of Globe to take over Bayan. The CA’s Former Special Seventeenth Division denied the motion for reconsideration filed by PLDT urging the appellate court to set aside its March 26, 2015, ruling. The CA, in the said decision, denied the petition for certiorari filed by PLDT seeking the nullification of the orders issued on November 27, 2013; December 13, 2013; and July 3, 2014, by the respondent NTC. The orders allowed the continuation of the proceedings in connection with Globe’s and Bayan’s joint application for regulatory approval and denied the petitioner’s motion to dismiss the joint application.

• Full year consolidated service revenues once again reached a new record high of PhP113.7 billion from PhP99 billion last year due to the anticipated rise in data consumption across Globe’s mobile, broadband, and fixed line data businesses. Mobile revenues were up by 9% to PhP85.1 billion from last year’s PhP78.1 billion, due to the continued solid growth on Globe Postpaid (+7%), Globe Prepaid (+8%) and the company’s mass market brand TM (+14%). This was likewise supported by the robust 20% mobile subscriber base expansion year-on-year to 52.9 million from 44 million last year. Broadband, fixed line data and fixed line voice revenues, likewise, sustained its double-digit growth year-on-year, posting a 38%, 40% and 23% year-on-year increase, respectively, driven by robust subscriber growth and increased demand for data connectivity for both its consumer and corporate clients. The strong revenue performance was also aided by the consolidation of Bayan results in the second half of the year. Even excluding the impact of Bayan’s consolidation, consolidated gross service revenues were still up by a solid 12% year-on-year to PhP110.8 billion.
• Total operating expenses and subsidy increased by 14% year-on-year to PhP67.9 billion from PhP59.8 billion a year ago, as Globe continued to re-invest gains in revenues to support subscriber and data network expansion. The increase in operating expenses was driven by higher subscriber acquisition costs, given record-level gross acquisitions in 2015 and increased re-contracting volumes. Costs were also incurred to support the expansion of Globe’s 3G, HSPA+ and LTE networks, as leases for sites, repairs and maintenance and services costs were all up year-on-year. This was likewise impacted by the consolidation of Bayan in the last two quarters of 2015. Even excluding Bayan, actual year-on-year increase on operating expenses and subsidy was at 11%.
• Consolidated EBITDA of the Globe Group reached another record high of PhP45.8 billion, besting last year’s previous record of PhP39.3 billion, partly due to the consolidation of Bayan, which provided an EBITDA upside of PhP1 billion for the second half of 2015. EBITDA margin for 2015 was at 40%, in line with this year’s guidance and on par with last year’s EBITDA margin, as the overall revenue gains fully covered for the increase in expenses.
• Total depreciation expenses for 2015 posted a 17% increase to PhP21.1 billion from the PhP20.2 billion reported in 2014, given asset additions related to Globe’s capital expenditure programs in 2015 and the consolidation of Bayan’s depreciation expenses in the second semester of the year, which amounted to PhP832 million. Furthermore, the growth in depreciation expenses was also due to relatively low depreciation charges in 2014, owing to the full depreciation of certain assets by the end of 2013.
• Overall, total operating costs including depreciation charges, rose to PhP89 billion or 14% higher than the PhP77.9 billion reported in 2014. Excluding Bayan’s costs, total operating expenses increased by 11% year-on-year.
• Non-operating charges declined by 32% year-on-year mainly driven by the impact of one-time gains booked in the second half of 2015, coming from the sale of a 51% stake in Yondu to Xurpas Inc. (PSE: X), including the fair market valuation adjustment on Globe’s remaining 49% stake in Yondu, and valuation adjustments upon the acquisition of a 98.6% stake in Bayan in July 2015. These one-time adjustments offset the impact of higher net interest expenses and foreign exchange losses during the year.
• The Globe Group closed the year with a record high consolidated net income of PhP16.5 billion, up a solid 23% from last year’s previous record of PhP13.4 billion, driven by the strong EBITDA growth and lower non-operating charges. Excluding the non-recurring expenses, foreign exchange losses and one-time gains, core net income after tax reached PhP15.1 billion as of end-December 2015, up a solid 4% from the PhP14.5 billion reported in 2014.
• As of the end-December 2015, total cash capital expenditures stood at about PhP32.1 billion (approximately $704 million), 51% higher than last year’s level of PhP21.2 billion. The increase in capital expenditures was partially driven by the delay in capex cash flows in the latter part of 2014, which spilled into 2015. To date, Globe has a total of 28,336 base stations, including over 18,300 4G2 base stations to support the requirements of its subscribers for 2G, 3G and 4G services.
• For 2016, the Company expects the market to remain challenging and competitive, given the shifting focus of the customer’s lifestyles and usage in a digital world. Against this environment, the company believes that the current revenue momentum built, coupled with the adaptive platform of digital lifestyle offers to cater to the subscribers’ changing lifestyles could further push revenues to increase by high single-digit from 2015 level. EBITDA margin is expected to remain around 40%, as margins would be continuously impacted by the growth of our postpaid business and the increasing contribution of lower-margin data-related products, offset by our efforts to grow the prepaid business and the renewed focus on cost transformation across the board.
• For 2016, the company’s new capital expenditures are programmed to be approximately $750 million, which is slightly higher than the actual capex recorded in 2015. With the growing demand for data and internet connectivity, the company anticipates that majority of said capex would be related to data, including spend for deployments of LTE mobile and LTE @Home, capacity and coverage augmentation of the 3G, HSPA+ and DSL network, as well as requirements for domestic transmission and international cable capacities.
• Globe’s fourth quarter consolidated services revenues of PhP30.3 billion surpassed the prior quarter’s revenues of PhP29.5 billion by 3% and was 15% higher than the results posted in the same quarter of This quarter’s record performance was mainly driven by the strong contributions from mobile (+3%) and broadband (+7%), which were partly offset by the decline in traditional voice (-8%) and fixed line data (-6%). This was likewise aided by the impact of the consolidation of Bayan, providing an upside of PhP1.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Globe’s subsidy and operating expenses were likewise higher by 10% quarter-on-quarter from PhP17.5 billion to PhP19.2 billion due to the increases across all expense line items, as anticipated in the fourth quarter of the year. The growth in fourth quarter costs included (1) charges related to product launches in the period, including the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, (2) costs to support the expanded Globe data network and subscriber base, and (3) catch-up accruals usually booked during the last quarter of the year.
• Depreciation charges for the quarter were likewise higher by 18% from the PhP5.5 billion last quarter to PhP6.5 billion this period, to cover for asset additions related to Globe’s new projects. In total, Globe’s total cost and expenses, including depreciation expenses, were higher by 12% to PhP25.7 billion from PhP23.0 billion in the third quarter of the year.
• Globe’s fourth quarter EBITDA declined to PhP11.1 billion from PhP12.0 last quarter as the increase in revenues was fully offset by the rise in operating costs during the quarter just ended. EBITDAmargins for the quarter stood at 37%, lower than the 41% recorded in the third quarter of 2015, but higher than the 36% recorded in the same period last year.
• Globe recorded total non-operating charges amounting to PhP932 million, against last quarter’s nonoperating income of PhP768 million. The reversal was partly driven by the non-recurring gains coming from both the sale of a 51% stake in Yondu to Xurpas and the acquisition of a 98.6% stake in Bayan booked in the third quarter of 2015.
• Consistent with seasonal trends, consolidated quarterly net income amounted to PhP2.3 billion, down by 57% against the PhP5.4 billion last quarter, due to decline in EBITDA coupled with this quarter’s on-operating charges (versus the non-operating income recorded in the third quarter). Core net income, which excludes non-recurring items, inclusive of the gains related to the transactions completed in the quarter, foreign exchange losses and mark-to-market items, likewise declined by 41% from last quarter.

Mobile service revenues, which accounted for 75% of Globe’s consolidated service revenues for the year just ended, rose to PhP85.1 billion, up 9% from last year’s level of PhP78.1 billion, due to the strong revenue contributions from mobile data (+55%) and the continued subscriber expansion across all mobile brands. On a sequential basis, Globe’s quarterly mobile revenues were also up by 3% against the previous quarter and 8% against the fourth quarter of 2014. Moreover, the fourth quarter mobile revenues of PhP22.1 billion pesos represent a new quarterly record for Globe.

Mobile voice revenues, which accounted for 43% of total mobile service revenues, grew by 6% to PhP36.9 billion from PhP34.7 billion in 2014, due to the continued popularity of unlimited and bulk domestic voice subscriptions, offsetting the decline in pay-per-use domestic voice and international voice services. On a quarterly basis, mobile voice revenues declined by 3% quarter-on-quarter.

Mobile SMS revenues, which accounted for 31% of total mobile service revenues, closed the year at PhP26.1 billion, lower than the PhP29.1 billion recorded in the same period last year. The year-on-year decline in SMS revenues was due to the impact of increasing popularity of over-the-top (OTT) chat applications such as Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Viber and other chat applications, offering avenues for messaging to our subscribers outside of SMS. On a sequential basis, mobile SMS revenues declined by 7% quarter-on-quarter.

Mobile browsing and other data revenues, which accounted for 26% of total mobile service revenues, stood at PhP22.1 billion as of end-December 2015, up by an impressive 55% from PhP14.3 billion a year ago. On a sequential basis, mobile browsing and other data revenues increased by 25% from the PhP5.6 billion posted in the previous quarter to nearly PhP7.0 billion. The significant growth in mobile data revenues was driven by the increasing popularity of the Go Surf promos, which provide premium content such as Spotify and free games, among others, along with their data subscriptions, the positive outcome of the sustained free Facebook and free Viber promotions, and enhanced network experience from our expanded 3G, HSPA+ and LTE networks.

• Globe closed the year with a total mobile subscriber base of 52.9 million, up 20% from 44.0 million subscribers last year. Fourth quarter’s gross subscriber acquisitions registered a new quarterly-high of 11.6 million subscribers, 3% higher than the last quarter’s previous record-level performance and14% higher than the fourth quarter of 2014. This was mainly driven by the sustained strong acquisitions of the Company’s prepaid (Globe Prepaid) and mass market brands (TM). Combined, Globe Prepaid and TM gross acquisitions comprised 98% of acquired SIMs during the period. Postpaid gross acquisition in the fourth quarter was the second highest mark for the year, coming from the third quarter’s record-level gross additions. The increase in gross additions was boosted by continued success of the myLifestyle plans bundled with the latest devices from Apple and Samsung (iPhone 6s/iPhone 6s Plus/ Samsung S6 Edge Plus, Note 5). With the improvement of overall churn rates in 2015 to 6.11% from 6.46% in 2014, full year net incremental subscribers were up 60% year-on-year increase from 5.6 million in 2014 to a robust 8.9 million net additions this period.
• Globe Postpaid remained the leader in the postpaid segment of the market given the continued growth in acquisitions of high-quality subscribers throughout the year, closing 2015 with over 2.4 million subscribers from nearly 2.3 million last year. The success of the My Lifestyle plan bundled with a wide range of the latest devices, as well as the innovative deals and promotions launched in 2015, helped boost gross additions to reach a new record high of 982,457 in 2015, 18% higher than the previous record of 835,290 reported a year ago. Full year net incremental postpaid subscribers stood at 139,094, 41% lower than 2014 level of 236,719, due to the higher churn rate in 2015 (3.1%) against last year’s 2.3%.
• Globe Prepaid gross acquisitions slightly increased by 1% in the fourth quarter against the 4.8 million gross additions in the previous quarter, bringing the full year gross additions to 18.6 million, 17% higher than the 15.9 million recorded in 2014. The strong acquisitions were driven by the brand’s aggressive acquisition efforts, value for money promotions, the successful Free FB/Viber campaign in the first quarter of the year and the popularity of Go Surf data bundles. With the decline in churn in 2015 of 5.9% from 6.4% in 2014, full year net incremental subscribers increased by 148% to reach 3.6 million this period from 1.4 million in 2014.
• TM generated its highest gross acquisitions in 2015, registering 24.8 million new SIMs, up 18% year-on-year from the 21.1 million last year. For the fourth quarter of 2015, TM achieved a new record high, acquiring 6.5 million new SIMs or 4% better than previous quarter’s level of 6.2 million and 2% higher than its previous best of 6.3 million recorded in 2Q15. Similar to Globe Prepaid, the free Facebook/Viber promo and sustained aggressive acquisition efforts boosted acquisitions throughout the year. Coming from the very strong acquisition coupled with the decline in churn rates in 2015 from 7.0% to 6.5%, full year net incremental subscribers improved by 33% from 3.9 million in 2014 to 5.2 million in 2015.
• Blended ARPU as of full year 2015 declined by 8% to only PhP145 from PhP159 of 2014, due to the combined effects of higher multi-SIM usage, continued pressures on yields caused by the shift to value-based bucket, unlimited voice/sms offers and the shift to promo data offers. Globe Postpaid ARPU of PhP1,139 was 2% lower than last year’s level of PhP1,164. TM and Globe Prepaid ARPUs were likewise down year-on-year by 8% and 6%, respectively.
• Globe Postpaid subscriber acquisition cost (SAC) increased year-on-year by 2% from last year’s PhP8,700 to PhP8,878 in 2015, driven by the successful launch of iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and Samsung Note 5 in the fourth quarter of the year. On a quarterly basis, Globe Postpaid SAC increased by 17% to P10,384 from P8,895 in the third quarter of the year. Globe Postpaid SAC remain recoverable within the 24-month contract of the postpaid plans. Globe Prepaid SAC, on the other hand, were significantly lower year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter by 38% and 33%, respectively. TM SAC, likewise, was down year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter by 14% and 8%, respectively. Globe Prepaid and TM SAC remained recoverable within a month’s ARPU.

Globe Group’s fixed line and broadband revenues posted a 36% increase from nearly PhP21 billion in 2014 to PhP28.6 billion in 2015. The growth was driven by robust contributions across all business segments, with Globe broadband and fixed line data sustaining its double-digit improvements year-on-year.

Globe Tattoo Broadband posted a 38% growth to reach PhP17.5 billion in the year just ended from PhP12.7 billion reported a year ago, as a result of the 55% expansion of its customer base for both wired and wireless services (up 48% and 56% year-on-year, respectively). The remarkable revenue growth and customer uptake throughout the year was partially driven by the various broadband products and packages bundled with exclusive access to entertainment content (HOOQ, NBA League Pass). Tattoo Broadband’s sustained revenue growth was mainly due to the higher subscriber base for both Tattoo- At-Home and Tattoo-On-The-Go, rising to 4.3 million subscribers from 4.0 million last quarter. It was likewise impacted by the consolidation of Bayan starting in the third quarter this year. Excluding the impact of Bayan’s consolidation, total Globe’s fixed and broadband revenues reached PhP25.7 billion for the year just ended, still a strong 23% increase from 2014.

On a sequential basis, fixed line and broadband revenues likewise slightly improved by 1% quarter-onquarter to PhP8.2 billion from PhP8.1 billion in 3Q15. Tattoo Broadband’s sustained revenue growth was mainly driven by higher subscriber base for both Tattoo-At-Home and Tattoo-On-The-Go, rising to 4,318,143 subscribers from 3,998,116 last quarter.

The fixed line data segment (inclusive of Bayan) sustained its growth momentum ending the year with PhP7.7 billion revenues, up 40% against the same period of 2014, fueled by strong demand for domestic and international leased line services, sustained circuit base expansion, and the increasing popularity of cloud-based services, such as data storage and solutions-based cloud computing. Even excluding Bayan’s results, Globe’s fixed line data reached PhP6.6 billion, a robust 21% improvement from 2014.

Globe’s total fixed line voice revenues likewise improved year-on-year by 23% due mainly to expansion in subscriber base, both organically given the popularity of bundled broadband plans and the impact of Bayan consolidation starting the third quarter of 2015. Even without the aid of Bayan’s results, Globe’s fixed line voice still grew by 8% from a year ago.

Products & Services

Globe continued to create the best suite of promotions and offers during the quarter to enhance the digital lifestyle experience of its customers.

Mobile

Globe Postpaid remain true to its commitment of being one step ahead in giving customers access to the latest smartphone devices and best-in-class postpaid plans as it successfully unveiled the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus last November 2015. The iPhone 6s 16GB was made available at Plan 1799 with PhP450 monthly cashout while iPhone 6s Plus 16GB was made available at Plan 1799 with PhP650 monthly cashout, both on a 24-month contract period. With Plan 1799, customers can enjoy the best-value postpaid plan package with bigger data allocation and free access to exclusive content for a complete digital experience. Under the postpaid plan bundle, customers get 10GB (until 31 December 2015 only) of mobile data per month for worry-free connectivity, access to non-stop music, movies, and games with free access to Spotify Premium, HOOQ and top mobile games for 3 months, free access to Facebook, Viber and Instagram for 24 months, and unlimited calls to Globe and TM and unlimited texts to all networks all for 24 months. Customers also get exclusive deals together with their postpaid plans that include free Gadget Care for 30 days and free 1GB of Globe Cloud storage for 24 months.

Meanwhile, the Company partnered with the global phone manufacturer OPPO in order to drive the increase in the mobile internet penetration in the country. The partnership between Globe and OPPO began with the launch of the OPPO Mirror 5 which was offered with a free Globe Prepaid SIM plus 100MB data per month for two months. Also, customers availing themselves of the 5-inch screen, metal-clad OPPO R7 Lite in a prepaid kit get a free Globe Prepaid SIM loaded with 100MB data per month for two months.

In addition, Globe ventured into a co-branding agreement with Cherry Mobile to launch the Cherry Prepaid SIM and phone bundles. The prepaid offering, dubbed as Cherry Prepaid powered by Globe, aims to be a game-changer in mass market mobile connectivity that combines high quality smart phones and prepaid service into one affordable package. Customers can choose between a PhP399 Lite Bundle, a PhP999 Big Time Bundle, and P1699 Partner Bundle. Users can also avail of the SIM-only option for only PhP29. All phone bundles come with a Cherry Prepaid SIM and a roster of freebies.

In addition, as part of its commitment to enable the Filipino digital lifestyle, the company launched Spotify 5 (1 day) and Spotify 99 (30 days) last December 15, 2015 to allow access to Spotify more affordable over the holiday season. Globe subscribers can avail for a limited time only of Spotify Premium for only PhP5 valid for 1 day or PhP99 valid for 30 days . With Spotify Premium, users can listen to songs offline, play songs on demand, enjoy ad-free listening, listen to amazing sound quality, and play songs on home speakers. To register, Globe prepaid, postpaid, and TM customers can text SP5 for 1-day Premium access (promo until Jan. 15, 2016 only) or SP9930D 30-day access (promo until March 15, 2016 only) to 8888. Spotify can also be enjoyed for free with any of the GoSURF data plans, starting at GoSURF10 for Spotify Basic. Meanwhile, Free FB and Viber with prepaid promos were extented until until 31 March 2016.

Broadband

As part of its efforts to uplift the state of internet services in the country by giving customers access to a faster internet experience with lower monthly service fees (MSF), the broadband business unveiled during the fourth quarter of the year, its new roster of home broadband plans powered by fiber-to-the home (FFTH) technology, providing customers the fastest fiber connection speeds at home now available at a more affordable price. With the new Globe Platinum Broadband Plans, home broadband customers can enjoy a broadband plan with internet speeds of up to 50Mbps at Plan 2499, 100Mbps at Plan 3499, 200Mbps at Plan 4499, 500Mbps at Plan 7499, and 1Gbps at Plan 9499.

Globe also is gearing up for the arrival of Internet television network Netflix in the Philippines with its roster of home broadband plans which come with free access to Chromecast, allowing customers to enjoy Netflix from any mobile device to a bigger screen. Customers on a Globe Home Broadband Plan 1299 and up can access Netflix with Chromecast, a thumb-sized media streaming device that plugs into the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port of one’s television set at home. With Chromecast, customers can cast their smartphone, tablet, or laptop to a bigger screen for a better and more inclusive viewing experience. Chromecast is compatible with Android devices, tablets, iPhones, iPads, Macs or Windows laptops or Chromebooks, allowing users to cast their favorite entertainment and apps to the big screen. Globe Platinum Broadband customers can also avail of Chromecast for free starting at Plan 2499 to Plan 9499.

International

During the fourth quarter of 2015, Globe, in partnership with Maxis Malaysia, launched a collect calling service to the 600 thousand overseas Filipinos in Malaysia via Ree IDD. Also in order to expand its Duo International’s subscriber base, the Company together with the Philippine National Bank (PNB) offered PNB’s 300 thousand overseas Filipino remittance customers a 90% off discount when they try the Duo International service. A free Globe prepaid sim was also given to remittance beneficiaries in the Philippines to strengthen the Globe calling circle.

GCash

Black Friday (last Nov. 27, 2015) and Cyber Monday (last Nov. 30, 2015), two of the most anticipated shopping sales days in the United States, were made accessible and affordable to digital-savvy GCash customers through the international shipping provided by GCash American Express® Virtual Pay in partnership with My Shopping Box. While most Filipinos cannot go to US retail stores to participate in the shopping madness, GCash American Express® Virtual Pay customers can still avail of huge discounts from the online sites of popular American brands such as JCPenney, J.Crew, Sears, and American Apparel, among others. At the same, the virtual card may be used at any online website that accepts American Express as a mode of payment, including Amazon, PayPal, eBay U.S., Zappos, Sephora, Drugstore, GAP, Old Navy, Agoda, the U.S. iTunes Store, Google Play Store, the U.S. PlayStation Store, and Steam Store.

Moreover, GCash makes it easier for millions of its customers to fund their accounts in over 1,000 7-Eleven convenience stores nationwide. This arrangement was a result of the recent Memorandum of Agreement between G-Xchange, Inc., (GXI) a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom and operator of GCash, and Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC), the local licensee of 7-Eleven. This partnership makes 7-Eleven one of over 10,000 accredited GCash outlets nationwide which allows GCash customers to fund their accounts through cash-in transactions for free.

Globe Business

Leading provider of marine services Harbor Star Shipping Services, Inc.(HSPI) has tapped Globe Business, the information and communication technology (ICT) arm of Globe Telecom, to provide trackers that will monitor the fleet operations of HSPI. The trackers, which fall under the Fleet Management application of the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Solutions suite will be installed in 33 units of HSPI’s fleet systems. M2M solutions enable machines, equipment, assets or things to remotely exchange real-time data with other machines, people or information systems through a communication network with minimal human intervention.

In its effort to extend and broaden its support to local SMEs, the small and medium business arm of Globe Telecom, Globe myBusiness has furthered its global partnership with top e-commerce platform Shopify. Shopify’s technology together with Globe myBusiness’ services can give SMEs a reliable package that will allow them to build their own online store, showcase their brand, and at the same time efficiently manage the back-end processes through capabilities such as tracking orders and customer data, viewing marketing and analytics information. Through Globe myBusiness, SMEs can avail of Shopify starting at PhP429 a month.

Just in time for the holiday season, Globe myBusiness, together with Shopify, introduced the country’s first-ever online bazaar DigiMall. Last December 18 to December 20, 2015, shoppers were able to get their gift lists ready through the use of the online platform to purchase items from over 25 Shopifypowered merchants.

The company, through its IT Enabled Services Group, likewise forged an agreement with ADP, a pioneer in outsourced payroll services with over 65 years of experience, to launch Globe Managed Payroll, the latest expansion to the roster of business solutions offered by the telecom company to its enterprise clientele. Globe Managed Payroll provides an end-to-end solution that includes time and attendance, payroll, and eventually a Human Resources Information System, providing customers a specialized outsourced team to manage payroll and human resource requirements that will let the organization focus on its core business.

Likewise, Globe through Globe Business, partnered with top companies such as Brightspace of D2L, Educube of  Globals and Flipside to find innovative solutions to offer Philippine schools and students access to a global learning experience. Brightspace provides more than a simple course of management capabilities on a Learning Management System (LMS). It is the only accessible, intuitive and Integrated Learning Platform that provides an engaging learning experience and predictive data-driven analytics while empowering teachers to teach the way they prefer to and inspiring students to learn the way they want them to learn. Educube, a school management system recognized worldwide, is a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for schools that help streamline and automate the school’s business processes. A pioneer in the Global eBook industry, Flipside has serviced some of the largest publishers in the world. Flipside uses its expertise to enable schools to develop and provide affordable educational content through digital libraries, eBook creation and distribution. The solutions that have been provided are all available to teachers and students at the touch of a mobile device.