Celcom Axiata today signed an agreement with PLDT Global Corporation(PGC) to establish a new MVNO in Malaysia called PLDT Malaysia Sdn Bhd(PLDT MY).
PLDT MY will offer mobile prepaid services under the brand name SMART Pinoy and it will target some 700,000 Filipino migrant workers in Malaysia. SMART Pinoy customers will be able to call Philippines for as low as 48sen per minute and SMS for 20sen per message. Local calls in Malaysia are charged from 12sen per minute and 1sen per SMS.
The SMART Pinoy SIM pack is available for RM8.50 with preloaded credit of RM5. It can be purchased at SMART Pinoy Wireless Centers at Kota Raya, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and selected Celcom dealers nationwide.
According to the announcement to Bursa Malaysia, PLDT MY’s paid-up share capital will be RM6 million, divided into six million PLDT MY Shares of which Celcom and PGC will subscribe in cash in the ratio of 49: 51.
“The subscription by Celcom of its 49% equity interest in PLDT MY for the sum of RM2.94 million will be funded through internally generated funds,” said Axiata.
PGC has similar mobile service in Singapore, Hong Kong and USA. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company(PLDT) which provides value added and traffic wholesale services globally. PLDT recently acquired Philippines 3rd largest mobile operator, Digital Telecommunications(Digitel).
