Tag Archive for ‘Philippines’ at LIRNEasia

Tag Archive for 'Philippines'

Call for Papers: Infrastructure Regulation: What works, Why, and How do we know?
Deadline: 05 December 2008.

LIRNEasia research published in Telektronikk

on October 7, 2008

An article entitled, ‘Teleuse at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Beyond Universal Access’, co-authored by Harsha de Silva and Ayesha Zainudeen, has been published in Telektronikk, a leading telecommunications journal, published by Telenor, Norway.

Appearing in the journal’s second issue for 2008, aptly titled, ‘Emerging Markets in Telecommunications’, the article explores the extent to which “universal access” to telecommunications has been achieved in Asia, based on findings from LIRNEasia’s five-country study of the use of telecommunication services at the ‘Bottom of the Pyramid’, namely in India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Very high levels of access, but low levels of ownership are found. The paper then looks at the potential benefits that these non-owner users are missing out on, and then goes on to look at the key barriers to ownership…

Comment
Tags: Ayesha Zainudeen, BOP, Bottom Of The Pyramid, Harsha de Silva, India, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Telektronikk, Thailand, universal access.

Will you be virtual too?

Chanuka Wattegama

on May 14, 2008

LIRNEasia might not be as high tech as some of the big IT players but in our own way we have made a successful effort to make ourselves a virtual team. Not a choice – that was the only way we could operate in multiple countries (For example, in this cycle, TRE surveys will be in nine countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand; not to mention CPRSouth 3 in Beijing)without budgets comparable to what INGOs use to run regional networks.

We also thought our own experiences will be useful for others. Hence the Virtual Organisation (VO) project. It had two aspects; developing the VO and using it to conduct LIRNEasia’s other research projects.

The case study is now out. It describes our efforts,…

1 Comment
Tags: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Virtual Office, Virtual Organisation, Virtual Team.

Who is the least generous of them all?

Chanuka Wattegama

on December 13, 2007

Among the five countries LIRNEasia has conducted its survey on teleuse at the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP), which country do you think we found people who are least willing to share their mobile phone with a another?

(a) India
(b) Pakistan
(c) Philippines
(d) Sri Lanka
(e) Thailand

This was one of the interesting questions asked during the interactive quiz show at the LIRNEasia organized session at GK3, ‘Teleuse at the Bottom of the Pyramid’. The session addressed issues like the misconceptions about the teleuse (including Internet) at the BoP; exact nature of the demand at the BoP (in terms of using common facilities, getting connected, staying connected); strategic behaviours do users at the BoP engage in and policy and regulatory barriers stand in the way of the BoP being…

33 Comments
Tags: cellular telephone, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand.

Documentary film highlights telephone revolution in Asia’s emerging markets

Nirmali Sivapragasam

on December 6, 2007

A new documentary film, titled Teleuse@BOP, recently produced by TVE Asia Pacific (TVEAP) and based on LIRNEasia’s study on Teleuse at the Bottom of the Pyramid, highlights a communication revolution happening in Asia’s emerging telecommunication markets.

When it comes to using phones, the film says, people at the bottom of the income pyramid are no different from anyone else; they value the enhanced personal security, including emergency communications, and social networking benefits. Increasingly, poor people are not content with just using public phones or shared access phones (belonging friends or family). They see a utility and social value of having their own phones.

Comment
Tags: ACNielsen, Asia, Ayesha Zainudeen, Canada, Canada\'s International Development Research Centre, cellular telephone, Dialog Telekom, emergency communications, Emerging Technologies, Global Knowledge Partnership, Harsha de Silva, India, International Development Research Centre, Kuala Lumpur, LIRNEasia Lead, Malaysia, Nalaka Gunawardene, Pakistan, Philippines, social networking benefits, Sri Lanka, telephone use, Thailand, TVE Asia Pacific, youth enterprise.

Cell Phones Double as e-wallets in RP

Lorraine Salazar

on October 4, 2007

Cell phones double as electronic wallets in RP
By Oliver Teves
Associated Press
Last updated 10:42am (Mla time) 09/30/2007
Philippine Daily Inquirer

SAN MIGUEL, Philippines–It’s Thursday, so 18-year-old Dennis Tiangco is off to a bank to collect his weekly allowance, zapped by his mother–who’s working in Hong Kong–to his electronic wallet: his cell phone.

Sauntering into a branch of GM Bank in the town of San Miguel, Dennis fills out a form, sends a text message via his phone to a bank line dedicated to the service.

In a matter of seconds, the transaction is approved and the teller gives him P2,500 (US$54), minus a 1-percent fee. He doesn’t need a bank account to retrieve the money.

More than 5.5 million Filipinos now use their cell phones as virtual wallets, making the Philippines…

1 Comment
Tags: Ahli United Bank, Anna Tiangco, Associated Press, ATM, Bahrain, bank, bank account, bank accounts, bank line, bank products, bank wire transfer, cell phones, cellular telephone, computer chip, Dennis Tiangco, e - commerce, e-wallets, Etisalat, EUR, financial transactions over mobile networks, G-Xchange, Globe Telecom, GM Bank, HKD, Hong Kong, Hong Kong CSL Ltd., Joseph Estrada, Kenya, Middle East, Mobile banking, Mobile banking services, mobile phones, money transfer service, MTC, Peso, Philippines, Ramon Isberto, Rizza Maniego Eala, SAN, San Miguel, Smart, Smart Communications, South Africa, telecommunications operator, the Philippines, UAE, United States, USD, Vodafone.

“Mobile kills the telecenter star”–Helani Galpaya at U of Southern California

Rohan Samarajiva

on October 2, 2007

On October 1, LIRNEasia’s Director of Strategic Development Helani Galpaya made a presentation at the University of Southern California. Her title is a play on an old song celebrating the golden era of radio: “Video killed the radio star.” The slides she used are available here .

USC Annenberg | Annenberg Research Network on International Communication Speaker Series: Helani Galpaya

Join students and faculty for a presentation by LIRNEasia’s Director of Strategic Development, Helani Galpaya. Her topic: “Mobile Kills the Telecenter Star.” From Ms. Galpaya: “Much attention goes towards using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve the lives of citizens in developing countries. Although telecenters (community internet access centers), which have become the bright “stars” in many e-development programs in Asian countries, do have a role to…

1 Comment
Tags: California, communication technologies, community internet access centers, e-development, end citizen services, immediate and ubiquitous tool, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, University of Southern California.

Missed calls / beeping / flashing - a universal strategy?

Ayesha Zainudeen

on September 28, 2007

Missed calling (also referred to as beeping, flashing and many other names) has been most talked about in Africa; Johnathan Donner has been talking and writing about it for some time now; his research provides interesting insights into what he calls the ‘rules’ of beeping. A recent Reuters article looks at the growing phenomenon in not only Africa but other regions too. LIRNEasia’s Teleuse@BOP survey findings also show that the phenomenon is considerably common among bottom of the pyramid (defined here as Socioeconomic Classification groups D & E) phone users in India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. But what’s more interesting, is that the phenomenon was seen as being used more or less to the same extent in the ‘middle and top of…

4 Comments
Tags: Africa, Andrew Heavens, Cairo, Cape Town, cellular network, cellular telephone, cheaper technology, Devine Kofiloto, Ethiopia, Faisal Ijaz Khan, India, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Irene Mbarika, Johnathan Donner, Jonathan Donner, KHARTOUM, Microsoft, mobile telephone markets, mobile-phone operator, much cheaper technology, Pakistan, Philippines, Reuters, Rwanda, social protocol, SouthEast Asia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, technology association, Thailand, the Philippines, U.N.\'s International Telecommunication Union, USD, Victor W.A. Mbarika, Zain (formerly MTC).

Philippines is 2nd fastest-growing broadband market: Ovum

Abu Saeed Khan

on September 28, 2007

Total broadband growth in the Philippines from 2005 to 2006 was at 157% while Greece’s was 168%, Ovum said. The Philippines had 127,942 subscribers in 2005 and this number grew to 329,216 as of end-2006.

The cost of broadband in the Philippines is also expensive relative to average monthly disposable incomes of subscribers. The highest monthly fee in 2006 was $96.08, with the lowest at $17.28. In comparison, the highest monthly fee available in Greece was $60.91 while the lowest was $10.31.

The high price of broadband services in the Philippines, as well as in Vietnam and Indonesia, has resulted in penetration lags in consumer broadband among these Countries, Ovum said. Read more.

Comment
Tags: Broadband, broadband services, Greece, Indonesia, Philippines, the Philippines, USD, Vietnam.

LIRNEasia’s TRE research discussed in ITU Report

Rohan Samarajiva

on August 15, 2007

The ITU’s World Information Society Report 2007 contains the following discussion of one of LIRNEasia’s flagship products, the Telecom Regulatory Environment (TRE) assessment, in Chapter 2, Bridging the digital divide (p. 32).

“One innovative approach adopted recently in the
Asian market is to try to quantify the extent of
sector reform. LIRNEAsia has conducted research
into the regulatory environment in six Asian economies
(India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri
Lanka and Thailand). Their research is based on
interviews rating performance in market entry,
scarce resources, interconnection, prices, anticompetitive
practices and universal service. Their
evaluation of the regulatory environment is in general
agreement with sector performance, as measured
by the DOI. However, the fit is not perfect: for
instance, Sri Lanka actually gained two places in
the DOI, but it lagged behind, ranked fourth out
of the six countries in regulatory performance.11
This suggests…

Comment
Tags: India, Indonesia, Islamabad, LIRNEasia, Pakistan, Pakistan Telecom Authority, Philippines, Rohan Samarajiva, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United States, Virginia, www.lirneasia.net/2007/03/colloquium-on-refining-tre-me, www.lirneasia.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/telecom-re.

Oxford Analytica Briefing on Teleuse@BOP

Ayesha Zainudeen

on April 20, 2007

International consulting firm, Oxford Analytica (www.oxan.com) based in Oxford University and draws on a network of over 1,000 senior faculty members at Oxford and other major universities and research institutions around the world reported on Lirneasia’s “Telecoms on a Shoestrings” survey outcomes in its Asia-Pacific Daily Briefs on April 18th.

OA’s existing clients include over 35 governments, major international institutions, and over 160 of the world’s leading multinational corporations and financial institutions. See http://www.oxan.com/about/clients.asp

The report, South /Southeast Asia: Region Set for Telecoms Growth, highlighted the findings of LIRNEasia’s survey of Teleuse at the Bottom of the Pyramid in India, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. It emphasised the huge market potential of the BOP in developing countries, though the need for telcos to come up with…

2 Comments
Tags: Asia, India, Oxford Analytica, Oxford University, Pakistan, Philippines, SouthEast Asia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, www.oxan.com.

LIRNEasia Six Country Multi-component Study 2006-2007 Country reports available: Pakistan,India,Philippines & Thailand

Ayesha Zainudeen

on April 18, 2007

The country reports of the Measuring ICT Sector and Regulatory Performance project, a six-country multi-component study, are available for download below. The Study includes assessments of the regulatory performance in each country, using the telecom regulatory environment (TRE) scorecard; analytical descriptions of reforms that have been implemented; and measurement of changes in sector performance, using the indicators being developed under the project (more info on the project).

The country reports can be downloaded here:

Pakistan country report - Joseph Wilson
India country report - Payal Malik
Philippines country report - Lorraine Carlos Salazar
Thailand country report - Deunden Nikomborirak
Sri Lanka country report - Malathy Knight-John
The Indonesia findings can be found in the following paper: Regulatory reforms and improved sector performance: A comparative analysis of Indonesia and India - Payal Malik and Divakar Goswami

The analytical framework can…

1 Comment
Tags: India, Joseph Wilson, Lorraine Carlos Salazar, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand.

BOP Families To Trigger Mobile Penetration in Asia

Ayesha Zainudeen

on March 28, 2007

Sonal Desai | CXOToday.com

Mumbai, Mar 27, 2007: Mobile penetration will penetrate the homes of bottom or pyramid (BOP) families in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, a study instituted by LIRNEasia has found.

Titled, “Teleuse on a Shoestring- A Study of the Financially Constrained in Asia,” it interviewed and maintained diaries of respondents from Thailand and Philippines besides the above mentioned countries. A C Nielsen conducted the fieldwork. International Development Research Center (IDRC), Canada funded the research.

3 Comments
Tags: Asia, Asia-Pacific, Canada, cellular telephone, China, GSM, GSM Association, Harsha de Silva, India, Indonesia, International Development Research Center, LIRNEasia, mobile phones, MUMBAI, Pakistan, Philippines, SMS, Sri Lanka, telecom services, Thailand, the Philippines, travel time, USD.

Media coverage of Teleuse@BOP Project

Divakar Goswami

on March 22, 2007

LIRNEasia conducted a media workshop to present findings from the Teleuse@BOP project in Singapore on Feb 28, 2007. Teleuse@BOP (Shoestrings 2) is a large sample study undertaken by LIRNEasia on how low-income groups benefit from telecom and how the access pattern differs in five Asian countries, namely India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Thailand. The research looks at the use and ownership of telephones, what kinds of phones people use and why, the perceived benefits, expenditure on telephones and the barriers to telecom use in the five countries.

The study, Teleuse@BOP, is the second study of this nature that LIRNEasia has conducted. It has brought out several interesting findings, which would provide valuable insights into the telecom user space in these Asian countries.

Media coverage of the Teleuse@BOP findings are below:

Telecom Journal from Thailand

…

Comment
Tags: India, Media coverage, media workshop, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand.

Philippines pioneers international remittance via SMS

Rohan Samarajiva

on February 17, 2007

Reading the reports from Barcelona, one may think that remitting money using the functionalities of the mobile phone is something new. However, it appears that it is a functioning service in the Philippines, the SMS capital of the world.

5 Comments
Tags: ATM, Barcelona, cellular telephone, Philippines, Remittance Center, SMART Padala Center, SMART Wireless Center, SMS, the Philippines.

CPRsouth inaugural conference to commence

Ayesha Zainudeen

on January 15, 2007

The inaugural conference of CPRsouth, Capacity and field-building program to develop an Asia-Pacific knowledge network on ICT policy regulation, will commence on January 19 in Manila, Philippines. The three day conference is being held in association with the National College of Public Administration and Governanace, University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Communication Policy Research (CPR) south is intended to be a vehicle for building capacity in communication policy research in the Asia Pacific in the first instance, and then in the South. The core functions of CPRsouth are to organize an annual conference and to provide a virtual platform for interaction among communication policy researchers in the South. The objective is to create policy intellectuals capable of informed and effective intervention in ICT policy and regulatory processes…

1 Comment
Tags: Asia-Pacific, CPRsouth Board, Diliman, knowledge network, Manila, National College, Philippines, Public Administration, University of the Philippines.

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