Since its inception, roaming services have been causes of anxiety over bill shock and ballooning expenses. Consumers were worried over sending text messages or accidentally clicking on the mobile data switch. Smart Communications (Smart) is now targeting global services in their latest push for increased telco coverage.
The telco brand is expanding the coverage of its Surf Abroad 550 data roaming package to cover 112 countries around the world, including travelers’ favorites like Paris and Tokyo. Back in June, the package covered only 57 countries, a big number even then. This month’s expansion has almost doubled this number. And they’re not stopping. Smart is increasing that number to 180 countries by the end of the year.
Moreover, Surf Abroad 550 is now available as a fully automated service for Smart Postpaid subscribers for a worry-free data roaming experience. All consumers have to do is to turn on the data roaming function on their phones. Unlike before, there is no more need to register through text message or calling hotlines.
Smart’s improved data roaming offers cater to a growing market of young travelers, often referred to as “millennials,” which are increasingly traveling for leisure in other countries given new overseas routes and lower airfare promos made available by local airlines. This young market isn’t afraid of using technology to their advantage even while overseas. They see the need for using their apps despite geographical challenges. Global Internet usage is an amenity for these users.
The Surf Abroad 500 package is powered by network-lock technology which automatically selects partnered networks from all over the world as soon as the user steps foot on foreign soil. More than removing the hassle of manually selecting foreign networks, users will also be alerted if they select a network that Smart is not affiliated with. Smart’s Enterprise Subscribers will still be able to access these non-affiliated networks at the cost of regular rates. This prevents bill shock when he or she returns home.
Once the service is active, subscribers will receive an SMS notification informing them that they have already been subscribed to the enhanced Surf Abroad 550 package. Once activated for only P500 per day, the package will allow users to access to high-speed mobile Internet connections in covered countries. This includes travel-centric apps like Airbnb, Whatsapp, Viber, Google Maps, and even Uber.
Smart has also announced that the Surf Abroad 550 package will also be available to Prepaid subscribers in the very near future.
For more information on this new offer, visit smart.com.ph/postpaidsurfabroad.
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