Ümobile

:"Not to be confused with U Mobile, a similarly-named company in Malaysia."Infobox_Company
company_name = Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise, Inc.
(ümobile)
company_
company_type = Subsidiary
slogan = It starts with you
foundation = Manila, Philippines (2001)
location = Makati City, Philippines
key_people = Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman
Eric O. Recto, President and CEO
industry = Communications Services
products = Broadband Services
Cellular Telephony
homepage = [http://www.umobile.com.ph www.umobile.com.ph]
parent = Smart Communications

ümobile, officially known as Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise, Inc. (CURE), is a mobile telecommunications service provider in the Philippines. It is the newest service provider in the Philippine mobile telecommunications market, the first service provider to run solely on a 3G network, utilizing the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System natively, and the first telecommunications company in Asia to derive significant revenues from advertising. ümobile's target demographic are persons from the middle and upper classes between the ages of 15 and 35, catering its services and devoting its resources exclusively to to that demographic through an invitation system. Likewise, ümobile is the only mobile telecommunications company in the Philippines to run exclusively on a pay-as-you-go platform.

CURE is a subsidiary of Smart Communications, the Philippines' largest mobile telecommunications company. While ümobile subscribers have access to Smart network facilities (including full access to Smart's GSM and UMTS networks), the company's managerial structure and day-to-day operations are independent from that of mainline Smart.

History

CURE was established in 2001 by two companies: PH Communications Holdings Corporation and Francom Holdings, companies both owned by businessman Roberto Ongpin, with Eric Recto as president of the new company. Congress granted the company a twenty-five year franchise to provide telecommunications services in the Philippines on April 24, 2001. However, significant operations did not commence until 2005, when CURE applied for one of the five 3G licenses being offered by the National Telecommunications Commission. It was one of four companies (the other three being Globe Telecom, Sun Cellular and CURE's current parent company, Smart) to have been awarded a 3G license in 2006.

The awarding of a 3G license to CURE by the NTC is considered controversial and was the subject of a request by Juan Ponce Enrile for the Senate to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation regarding the NTC's judgment in issuing the licenses. [http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/75116727!.pdf Senate Resolution No. 428: A RESOLUTION URGING THE APPROPRIATE SENATE COMMITTEES TO CONDUCT AN INQUIRY, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, INTO THE ISSUES CONCERNING THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY AT PRESENT BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE ALLEGED QUESTIONABLE DECISIONS OF THE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WITH RESPECT TO THE ISSUANCE WHICH EVENTUALLY SOLD ITS ASSETS TO SMART TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AS WELL AS THE GRANT OF BWAWIMAX BANDWIDTH TO EXISTING AND NEW PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATION ENTITIES, WITHOUT PROMULGATING THE NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE GUIDELINES, WITH THE END IN VIEW OF RECOMMENDING AND FAIR COMPETITION AMONG THE INDUSTRY PLAYERS AND, MORE OF 3G-FREQUENCY TO THE CONNECTIVITY UNLIMITED RESOURCES, INC. IMMEDIATE REMEDIAL MEASURES TO ENSURE NON-DISCRIMINATION IMPORTANTLY, PROTECT THE WELL-BEING OF OUR CONSUMERS] , Senate of the Philippines, retrieved on October 5, 2008] Enrile's request cites the incapability of CURE to independently mount a 3G network, as well as violations of its franchise when Smart acquired the company in 2008.

CURE's 3G network went live in December 2006, and the CURE network was opened for public trial through an invitation system. Persons who were selected to try out the CURE network were given a 500-peso phone credit allowance in addition to a free SIM card. At the time, CURE did not see itself as a competitor to the three established telecommunications companies, nor did it target its current demographic: the original demographic of the company was aimed more at corporate customers and individuals who wanted to avail of the new services and capabilities of UMTS. In part due to this original mission, CURE offered unlimited mobile phone browsing during its public trial.

On March 25, 2008, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), the parent company of Smart, announced that the latter had acquired CURE's parent companies in a P419.5 million (US$10 million) deal as part of Smart's planned expansion of both its 3G network and services. [http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20080428-133134/PLDT-unit-Smart-acquires-telecom-firm-for-10-million PLDT unit Smart acquires telecom firm for $10 million] , Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 28, 2008] While the management structure was left untouched, the acquisition enabled Smart to align CURE towards becoming a niche provider in the then-young Philippine 3G market. [http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/apr/29/yehey/business/20080429bus1.html Ongpin group gives up 3G business: Smart acquires smaller rival] , The Manila Times, April 29, 2008]

CURE rebranded itself as ümobile on May 19, 2008 during the network's public launch at the Rockwell Center in Makati City. While ümobile is distinct from the previously-independent CURE, it retained the old invitation system with a free SIM card and a six-month, P100 phone credit allowance.

ümobile invitations were available from June 1 to August 31 and invitations were distributed both at their website and at ümobile-sponsored events in bars and nightclubs around Metro Manila. However, the entire invitation system was shut down on September 1 as part of a migration of CURE's systems to the Smart framework.

Philippine area code assignment

ümobile is assigned the area code 999 in the Philippine telephone numbering plan. When it was previously independent, CURE used the 989 area code before moving to its current area code prior to its acquisition by Smart.

ee also

*Smart Communications

References

External links

* [http://www.umobile.com.ph ümobile]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070118003319/http://www.cure.com.ph/ Old CURE website] (from the Internet Archive)