MANILA, Philippines — Now Corp. expects to generate higher cash inflows with a plan to raise its stake in telco affiliate Now Telecom Co. Inc.

“The company’s increase in equity stake in Now Telecom will have an impact on the business operations of the company due to the increased share in the growth prospects of Now Telecom,” the publicly-listed firm said.

Now intends to increase its equity in Now Telecom from 19 percent to 24.23 percent.

“The additional stake in Now Telecom will generate higher cash inflows from revenues and augment the company’s market position in the TMT (telecommunications, media, and technology) space given Now Telecom’s extension of legislative franchise and provisional authority to operate as a cellular mobile telecommunications company,” the company said.

Now will subscribe to one million primary common shares of Now Telecom using the company’s existing advances amounting to P130.5 million and additional cash deposits for future subscription of P469.5 million for a total subscription consideration of P600 million.

Now said the company’s subscription of one million common shares in Now Telecom would support the corporate restructuring activities and future prospects of the telco license holder.

NOW Telecom will increase its authorized capital stock and issue shares subscribed by the Now to accommodate the subscription.

The parties have yet to execute a subscription agreement to date, but the completion of the transaction between the parties expected by September, according to Now.

Now is a licensed value-added service provider of TMT products.

The publicly listed firm, part of the NOW group of Mel Velarde, has access to broadband internet business called Fiber Air, which provides broadband internet connection via fixed wireless mainly to the enterprise segment.

Part of the customer segments of NOW includes banking, logistics, education, hospitality and even government.

Now Telecom, on the other hand, is looking to position itself as the country’s fourth major telecommunications player.

It earlier revealed plans to spend $713 million for its five-year 5G fixed wireless access business plan.

Source: PHILSTAR

NOW Group and Nokia Sign 5G MOU for Philippine Market


  • NOW to leverage Nokia’s wealth of expertise in the 5G technology and its game-changing capabilities to bring the true benefits of 5G to consumers while opening the door to new opportunities in industrial and manufacturing use cases.

01 December 2020

Manila, Philippines – NOW Corporation and NOW Telecom Company, Inc. (collectively “NOW” or “NOW Group”) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Finnish technology leader Nokia to introduce 5G network and 5G use cases in the Philippines.

Under the MoU, collaboration between the three parties will focus on the expansion of NOW’s current broadband telecom network by rolling out a 5G standalone network in the Philippine market. Joint development projects may also be undertaken under the scope of the MoU which also provides a strategic direction for all parties leading to a commercial framework agreement.

The collaboration with Nokia signifies the pivotal point in NOW Group’s strategy in penetrating the growing demand of broadband connectivity and multimedia services in the enterprise, government and residential market segments. Under the MoU, collaboration between the companies will also focus on the appropriate use cases of the 5G technology in the Philippine market.

As of 30 November 2020, Nokia has 133 commercial 5G contracts worldwide, positioning it as a global leader in the delivery of 5G solutions.

Most of the countries that are deploying 5G is non-standalone (NSA) whereby 5G radio networks are being overlaid on existing 4G networks. 5G standalone (SA) delivers enhanced mobile broadband and ultra-low latency. 5G SA supports multimedia services and applications, such as Industry 4.0 for manufacturing, 8K video quality streaming, mobile AR and VR applications and other use cases for enterprise, government, and residential market segments.

“This NOW-Nokia Agreement on 5G Collaboration shall bring about the multi-gigabit broadband Internet era in the Philippine Telecom, Media and Technology markets. NOW’s strategy is clear: to expand its current guaranteed service to high-end markets via 5G Fixed Wireless Access and extend this compelling customer experience to consumers via 5G mobile cellular broadband service. Having no legacy networks, NOW’s Standalone 5G Network shall rise above competition. With Nokia as our technology partner, we are confident NOW and its customers would succeed,” says Mel V. Velarde, Founder and Chairman of the NOW Group of Companies.

“We’re delighted to support NOW in realizing the full vision of 5G. 5G SA, with its high speed, low latency performance and edge computing will enhance business processes, bring new applications and benefits to consumers, and the wider industry. We’re confident that our market-leading technology will play a crucial role in setting the right conditions for 5G to become a success in the Philippines,” said Andrew Cope, Country Manager for Nokia Philippines.

It can be recalled that NOW Telecom received its renewal of provisional authority in September 2020 to install, operate, and maintain a nationwide mobile telecommunications system. The authority is not specific to 3G or third generation mobile communications technology but can extend to other technologies such as 4G, 5G, or even outer space.

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks.

Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia.

NOW Telecom Co. Inc. has recently received an extension of its provisional authority (PA) to operate install, operate, and maintain a nationwide mobile telecommunications system. This makes NOW the fourth telco in the country next to Smart, Globe, and DITO.

Issued last September 14 by the National Telecommunications Commission, the extension is not specific to 3G mobile communications technology but can extend to 4G and 5G connectivity.

However, the extension is subject to many conditions, including the additional capital of at least PHP 1.9 billion based from the first two years capital expenditure of PHP 6.3 billion in the submitted rollout plan and approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of the increase in the authorized and paid-up capital.

The PA also requires NOW to increase its installation of broadband services across suburban and rural areas, complying with the 70:30 ratio of urban to suburban and rural network rollout coverage in each phase of implementing its projects.

Under the PA, NOW is prohibited to share its frequency to the remaining three telco—Smart, Globe, and DITO—without securing approval from the NTC.

The Commission shared that the company’s current debt-to-equity ratio complies with its 70-30 requirement. It shared that NOW’s total capital requirement for five years should reach to PHP 15.9 billion and it should infuse at least 30 percent of total CAPEX requirement for two years, garnering an amount of PHP 1.89 billion.

The fourth telco appointed Unicapital Inc. as a financial advisor for a planned corporate restructuring. It will also be the company’s exclusive issue manager and financial advisor for a planned listing in the stock exchange.

An affiliate of NOW Corp., NOW Telecom Co. Inc is also planning to deploy its fixed wireless access 5G network in NCR and to roll out a 10Gbps broadband plan. The company will also spend USD 713 million for the former, USD 152 of which will be used to acquire new 5G radio equipment.

Source: YUGATECH

NOW Telecom Co. Inc., which is planning to go public, on Monday said it has scored an extension of its provisional authority (PA) to operate the country’s fourth mobile telecommunications system.

According o NOW Telecom, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) issued the extension of the firm’s PA last Monday, September 14, 2020, to install, operate, and maintain a nationwide mobile telecommunications system.

NOW said the PA is not specific to third generation mobile communications technology (3G), but this can extend to other technologies such as 4G, 5G, and even outer space.

The extension of the PA, however, is subject to a number of conditions which include the infusion of additional capital of at least P1.9 billion.

This is based on the two-P6.3-billion capital expenditure program for the first two years, as submitted and approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

“As the country’s fourth telco, NOW Telecom, an affiliate of publicly listed telecommunications, media, and technology firm Now Corp., is currently setting the stage for its public listing as well as its 5G or fifth generation network rollout,” the company said.

NOW Telecom has appointed Unicapital Inc. as financial advisor for a planned corporate restructuring, and to serve as exclusive issue manager and financial planned listing by way of introduction (LBWI).

“We are moving forward with the corporate restructuring of NOW Telecom to take it to the next level,” said NOW Group of Companies founder and chief executive officer Mel Velarde.

“NOW Corp and NOW Telecom were the first to introduce 5G broadband speed of up to 2Gbps direct to our existing enterprise clients. Our next move is to extend said service to the residential and consumer markets,” he added.

To recall, NOW Telecom already secured regulatory approval extending its PA in September 2019, after it announced plans to enter the fifth generation (5G) wireless network a month earlier.

Frequencies

NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios said, however, that NOW may not have enough frequencies to compete with incumbents Globe Telecom Inc., PLDT Inc., and third player Dito Telecommunity Corp.

“If you talk about mobile, tatlo lang. You have one coming in. Of course, NOW is an authorized mobile network operator… Meron siyang spectrum but of course limited,” he said in September 2019.

He said then that most of the frequencies held by NOW are only on the 3,500 megahertz (MHz), the midband of the spectrum which can only cater to a niche market.

“You really cannot compete. Niche marketing lang ‘yan. You are hitting a niche market. Otherwise, hindi talaga puwedeng makipagsabayan ka,” he said then.

For his part, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan II earlier said the government plans to reallocate unutilized frequencies to make way for more telecommunicaiton companies to enter the market.

“We will rationalize that also. It will require getting back frequencies that are allocated. It requires a frequency management policy,” he said.

Honasan noted, however, that the agency is focused on the entry of the third telco player before it can develop the envisioned frequency management policy.

Third telco player Dito Telecommunity missed its July 8 deadline for its technical launch which the company earlier committed to the government, as part of conditions as the third telco player.

The NTC has since given Dito six more months to satisfy its commitments, with the company saying it is on track to have its commercial launch or the onboarding of

Source: GMA News

MANILA – NOW Corp said Monday the National Telecommunications Commission has extended the provisional authority of its telco unit NOW Telecom to install, operate and maintain a mobile telecommunications system.

Under the NTC order, the provisional authority is subject to infusion of an additional P1.9 billion capital, NOW Corp said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

It also required NOW Telecom to accelerate the installation of broadband data services in suburban and rural areas.

NOW Corp said its telco unit is one of the 4 firms with cellular mobile telephone service (CMTS) licenses in the country, which included Smart, Globe and DITO Telecommunity.

NOW Telecom is also preparing for public listing via way of introduction at the Philippine Stock Exchange and its 5G offering, it said.

“As the country’s fourth telco, NOW Telecom, an affiliate of publicly listed telecommunications, media, and technology firm NOW Corp, is currently setting the stage for its public listing as well as its 5G or fifth generation network rollout,” it said.

“We are moving forward with the corporate restructuring of NOW Telecom to take it to the next level. NOW Corp and NOW Telecom were the first to introduce 5G broadband speed of up to 2Gbps direct to our existing enterprise clients. Our next move is to extend the said service to the residential and consumer markets,” NOW Group of Companies founder and Chief Executive Officer Mel V. Velarde earlier said.

NOW Telecom previously held off its third telco bid as it questioned the selection process.

Source ABS-CBN News

NOW Telecom Company Inc., owned by the Velarde family, secured a permit from the government to operate as the country’s fourth major mobile phone operator.

The National Telecommunication Commission on Sept. 14 issued a provisional authority allowing NOW Telecom to install, operate and maintain a nationwide mobile telecommunications system.

The authority is not specific to 3G or third-generation mobile communications technology but can extend to other technologies such as 4G, 5G or even outer space.

The PA is subject to a number of conditions, including the infusion of an additional capital of at least P1.9 billion from the first two years, capital expenditure of P6.3 billion in the submitted rollout plan and approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission of the increase in authorized and paid-up capital.

It also requires NOW Telecom to accelerate the installation of broadband data service in the suburban and rural areas. In each phase of project implementation, NOW Telecom is required to comply with the 70:30 ratio of urban to suburban and rural network rollout coverage.

The NTC order prohibits NOW Telecom from sharing or co-using its frequency to other players such as PLDT/Smart, Globe Telecom, DITO Telecommunity Corp. or any other entity without first securing approval from the commission.Smart, Globe, Dito and NOW Telecom are the only four cellular mobile telephone service licensees in the Philippines.

The NTC said that based on NOW Telecom’s financial position, its debt-to-equity ratio complies with the 70-30 requirement of the commission. It said its total capital requirement for five years should reach P15.9 billion and the company should infuse at least 30 percent of total capex requirement for two years or in the amount of P1.89 billion.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 10972 on Feb. 22, 2018 which renewed NOW Telecom’s legislative franchise for another 25 years to engage in the business of providing telecommunications including electronic communications and electronic communications services throughout the Philippines and between the Philippines and other countries and other territories, including outer space.

NOW Telecom, an affiliate of publicly listed telecommunications, media and technology firm Now Corp., is setting the stage for its public listing and 5G network rollout.NOW Telecom appointed Unicapital Inc. as financial advisor for a planned corporate restructuring and exclusive issue manager and financial advisor for a planned listing by way of introduction.“We are moving forward with the corporate restructuring of

NOW Telecom to take it to the next level. NOW Corp. and NOW Telecom were the first to introduce 5G broadband speed of up to 2 Gbps [gigabits per second] direct to our existing enterprise clients,” NOW Group of Companies founder and chief executive Mel Velarde earlier said.

“Our next move is to extend said service to the residential and consumer markets,” he said.

Source: Manila Standard

4 June 2020
Makati City, Philippines

  • NOW Fiber Air, the company’s broadband internet service business posted an increase in its gross revenue by 65% or Php185.951 million compared with the same period last year with a gross revenue of Php112.491 million.
  • NOW Corporation posted an increase of its net income by 39% or Php11.314 million in 2019 compared with the same period last year, with a net income of Php8.136 million.
  • NOW Telecom, the company’s telecom affiliate that has a congressional franchise to install and operate a mobile cellular firm, outlines its 5G-era growth strategy with a focus on 5G Fixed Wireless Access Broadband Service.

NOW Corporation (PSE Ticker: NOW) today reported to its stockholders its revenue and profitability achievement for the year 2019 during its Annual Stockholders Meeting.

NOW Corp’s Fiber Air business posted a gross revenue of Php185.951 million by the end of 2019 versus Php112.491 million of the previous year, a 65% increase fueled by higher demand in guaranteed broadband mainly from the enterprise segment. Consolidated gross revenues stood at Php220.762 million. Net income jumped to Php11.314 million in 2019, up 39% percent from Php8.137 million recorded in the previous year.

NOW Corp. paving the way for Faster and Reliable Broadband

The issues on Internet services have gone from technology (access) to connectivity (speed and reliability), particularly quality of broadband throughput. Telecom and broadband internet services have become one of the most critical ICT enablers almost all industries rely on for their daily operations and digital transformation goals.

NOW Corp’s “Fiber Air” has been a highly-differentiated broadband service because of its guaranteed performance, primarily to enterprises with mission-critical operations. Customers sign up for a minimum guarantee of 20 megabit per second to a high of 1.2 gigabit per second. Reliability and consistency rank the highest customer satisfaction metric, which has enabled NOW to become the largest fixed wireless broadband access provider in the country serving the enterprises and successfully extending residential subscribers in high-rise buildings.

Recent clients include Medicard, DEI Properties, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Energy, CNN Philippines, Bren Pro E-Sports, Mineski Infinity, Monde M.Y. San Corporation, Conrad Manila, Don Bosco Technical Institute, and UnionBank of the Philippines show proof of NOW’s emergence as an important player in this industry.

NOW moving forward amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 situation trigger a significant spike of demand for broadband and ICT services. NOW’s refocused strategy on critical industries has paid off.“ The Covid-19 situation has somewhat forced enterprises to quickly execute their digital transformation plans. The ‘new normal set-up’ in both offices and homes demands a stable and fast broadband infrastructure in place. This is a huge potential for NOW’s Fiber Air offering and NOW Telecom’s forthcoming 5G FWA product offering,” says Kristian Pura, Managing Director for technology and Fiber Air of NOW Corp.

On NOW’s software business, the Department of Health is currently reviewing the proposal of both NOW Corp and Viettel of Vietnam on a WHO-compliant COVID 19 technology and app, which includes the critical features needed such as Contact Tracing, Contact Follow-up, and Contact Listing.

NOW Telecom, NOW Corp’s affiliate, outlines its 5G Deployment Plan

During the listed firm’s Annual Stockholders’ Meeting, newly appointed NOW Telecom President and COO, Rene Rosales, also presented NOW Telecom’s 5-year 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Business Plan.

Over a five-year period, the Company aims to deploy 5G FWA network in the National Capital Region (NCR), and North and South of NCR. The main product offering of NOW’s 5G FWA shall be a broadband plan of up to 10 gigabit per second service, a ten-fold increase to NOW’s current offering. This 5G plan would build on NOW’s current markets and their growing needs such as business enterprises, highly-dense residential areas, high-end residential homes and high-rise buildings.

The CAPEX requirement is envisioned over a five year period at about USD713.0 million, initially USD152.0 million (USD30.0 million for the first two years and USD122.0 million for the third year). Much of this CAPEX would be the acquisition of 5G New Radio equipment that has already been made available for de novo infrastructure network build-up, which is ideal for NOW Telecom since it has no 2G, 3G or 4G legacy technologies.

The company is expected to raise capital through various fundraising exercises. In 2019, NOW Telecom signed an agreement with SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest telecom provider to help the company design its 5G network. It also has entered into signed agreements for various projects with Vietnam’s leading telco, Viettel.

“NOW is well positioned to take advantage of the opportunity in the enterprise and high-end residential market in the Philippines via 5G FWA. With fairly limited competition in this space, there is a strong opportunity for NOW to gain a profitable market share, at first in NCR. Our affiliate NOW Corp has a deep understanding of the role of ICT in enterprises and we are in a position to become the end-to-end service provider for both ICT and broadband services,” says Rosales.

In February 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 10972 that grants Now Telecom a franchise “to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain, lease, purchase, and carry on the business of providing telecommunications including electronic communications and electronic communications services throughout the Philippines, between the Philippines and other countries and other territories, including outer space for public domestic and international telecommunications.” The franchise also allows NOW “to construct, establish, install, maintain, lease, purchase, and operate the corresponding transmitting and receiving stations, satellites, lines, systems, network, local gateways, domestic exchanges and platforms.”

Mel Velarde, NOW founder, President and CEO concludes, “in all these years, we survive and succeed on the basis of a clear and highly differentiated competitive strategy: by being intensely focused on addressable and profitable target customers, and by building a wireless broadband network with cutting-edge technologies.”

END

10 December 2019
Manila, Philippines

NOW Telecom Company, Inc. (“NOW Telecom”) is moving another step nearer towards its goalof providing 5G or the fifth-generation wireless network technology which will allow the delivery of up to 20 gigabit per second speed to enterprises and homes.

NOW Telecom, together with affiliate and listed firm NOW Corporation (“NOW Corp.”), signed a memorandum of understanding with Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (“AIC”) and Frontier Tower Associates Management Pte. (“FTA”). The parties agreed to discuss and negotiate the lease of build-to-suit sites, towers, and passive telecommunications infrastructure and facilities that will be made available for the installation of NOW’s facilities and equipment in order to provide telecommunications and/or internet services.

Signatories to the MOU are NOW Telecom President Rodolfo Pantoja, NOW Corp. Chief Technology Officer Rene Rosales, AIC Chief Operating Officer Cosette Canilao, and FTA Executive Chairman and CEO Patrick Tangney.

“We welcome the government initiative to foster tower sharing because it reduces the cost of deployment while also accelerating the network rollout as ‘difficult or costly to acquire’ sites become feasible as the cost is shared among operators,” Rodolfo Pantoja said.

“We started our engagement with the Aboitiz Group for the provision of broadband connectivity to Union Bank of the Philippines. We are happy to explore more opportunities with Aboitiz and its partner, Frontier Tower Associates, in key areas such as shared infrastructure,” Pantoja said in a statement.

AIC and FTA signed a cooperation agreement for the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of a common tower network last June 19, 2019. Together, they aim to provide passive wireless communications infrastructure, such as towers, poles, for the use of wireless companies and Internet service providers such as NOW.

“We are very pleased to work with NOW Telecom and NOW Corp. on this engagement, which brings us even closer to our goal of building up the country’s connectivity by implementing tower sharing. This is very much in line with Aboitiz InfraCapital’s commitment to advance the digitalization of business and communities through relevant infrastructure-solutions,” said AIC COO Cosette Canilao.

Aboitiz InfraCapital will bring to this project the Aboitiz conglomerate’s extensive experience in building and operating provincial utility networks like the Visayan Electric Co. Inc., Davao Light and Power Co. Inc., and Cotabato Light and Power. Meantime FTAP, a member of established international tower firm, Frontier Tower Associates Group (FTA), will bring the experience gained from rolling out and operating thousands of towers in ASEAN.

NOW Corp., a company listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange, is engaged in the business of telecommunications, media and technology. It provides access to broadband connectivity solutions to enterprises, commercial and residential buildings, while NOW Telecom is a public telecommunications entity with a 25-year congressional franchise to construct, install, establish, operate, and maintain wire and/or wireless telecommunications systems. The latter is also a holder of a cellular mobile telecommunications system (CMTS) license, granted by the National Telecommunications Commission.

NOW Telecom is one of only four cellular mobile license holders apart from SMART, Globe Telecom, and Dito Telecommunity.

“We are committed to improving the Philippines’ connectivity and look forward to working together with NOW”, FTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Tangney said.

In October 2019, NOW Corp sealed a multi-year agreement with UnionBank for the deployment of Now Fiber Air, its enterprise-grade broadband product in the Aboitiz-led lender’s headquarters in Pasig City. UnionBank is in the midst of a digital transformation initiative that aims to bring its banking services and products closer to consumers through the Internet.  In addition, NOW has struck an agreement together Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) for the development of new 5G products in the Philippines.

In late-October 2019, NOW has also entered into a strategic partnership with SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest telecom player. The partnership shall leverage on SK Telecom’s expertise to develop 5G technologies and build a 5G stand-alone network in the Philippines. The trilateral (NOW Corp – Now Telecom – SK Telecom) agreement includes critical areas of collaboration and development for 5G in the Philippines: Technical Roadmap Planning – Network Conceptualization and Design – 5G Core Network Training – Establishment of 5G stand-alone (SA) network commercial infrastructure – In-building Solutions and 5G B2B Service Development.

This is just the latest of several partnerships and strategic alliances entered into by NOW as it readies itself to provide 5G.

NOW Corporation, a publicly listed technology firm (PSE: NOW) is once again trailblazing in the deployment of next generation fixed wireless connection with the roll out of its gigabit speed broadband service.

Since launching Fiber Air in 2016,  NOW has become the country largest  fixed wireless access broadband provider, capitalizing on the latest global technological innovations in the category to offer gigabit speeds on wireless platform.

Union Bank of the Philippines has recently availed of Now’s Gigabit per second (Gbps) broadband connectivity in its corporate headquarters in Ortigas Center, Pasig City. The country's leading digital bank has entered into a multi-year Agreement with NOW to complete the bank’s resiliency plan. Another NOW broadband service subscriber is BrenPro, the Philippines’ largest and most diversified company in the video games and e-sports industry. BrenPro’s NOW-powered e-sports facility has the capacity to house the training ground of Filipino e-sports athletes for local and international competitions.

Its quick-to-deploy, cost effective, and guaranteed broadband speed service have attracted NOW subscribers who either do not have access to fiber connection or need to have wireless service as a fail-proof option.  These are enterprises which cannot afford any interruption of business operations due to broadband fiber cuts and their existing provider’s long restoration periods. 

NOW’s proven reliability is gaining recognition  as the most ideal solution to augment on-ground fiber based connections and enable seamless and continued internet connection, under any condition.   Moreover, NOW has the unique ability to offer additional bandwidth capacity on demand. For UnionBank, BrenPro and other clients like hotels and event spaces, this is seen as valuable flexibility to meet occasional peaks in broadband demand.

At the core of NOW's service  is  guaranteed delivery of committed speeds . A subscriber who pays for a 1 Gbps plan gets 1 Gbps connection speed all day, every day.  To illustrate this, imagine  EDSA during rush hour.  A NOW subscriber drives his car on a lane dedicated exclusively for his own use.  In contrast, a subscriber  of shared plans, which are typically offered by other providers, has his car on a lane that is shared with all  the other cars.   This is the reason why subscribers of shared plans sometimes experience slowing down of their internet speed during peak hours.

To date, NOW serves almost 400 enterprises/buildings in Metro Manila.  Its near term plans are twofold: firstly, to pursue  more expansive coverage of Metro Manila to serve the pressing demand for innovative solutions and resiliency; and secondly,  to expand in nearby cities outside of Metro Manila  especially those that are unserved or underserved. 

If you need NOW’s guaranteed internet connection for your business, you may visit and sign up at www.nowfiberair.ph or inquire by calling +632 7 799 7700.

Source: https://www.philstar.com/business/2019/10/07/1958049/unionbank-taps-now-digital-transformation

  • NOW Corporation, together with its telecom arm NOW Telecom Company, Inc., reached a historic milestone as it entered into a strategic partnership with Korea’s SK Telecom for NOW’s 5G play. The partnership shall leverage on SK Telecom’s expertise to develop 5G technologies and build a 5G network in the Philippines.

NOW Corporation (PSE: NOW) together with its telecom affiliate NOW Telecom have entered into a strategic partnership with Korean telco giant SK Telecom for NOW’s 5G rollout.

SK Telecom Co., Ltd (NYSE: SKM) is Korea’s largest wireless carrier. In April 2019, SK Telecom has launched the world’s first commercial 5G service, taking the lead over other countries. SK Telecom has obtained the number one spot in terms of 5G subscribers in Korea, covering major cities nationwide.

The trilateral (NOW Corp – Now Telecom – SK Telecom) agreement includes critical areas of collaboration and development for 5G in the Philippines: Technical Roadmap Planning – Network Conceptualization and Design – 5G Core Network Training – Establishment of 5G stand-alone (SA) network commercial infrastructure – In-building Solutions and 5G B2B Service Development.

As a strategic partner, SK Telecom will also extend its new 5G based applications and solutions to provide enterprises and home broadband users in the Philippines with game-changing and unparalleled experience.

NOW Corporation’s telecom affiliate NOW Telecom Company, Inc., is a grantee of a 25-year congressional franchise during the 17th Congress to carry on the business of providing telecommunications services throughout the Philippines and other countries and territories, including outer space. It is likewise a grantee of an Authority to install, operate and maintain cellular mobile telephony system (“CMTS”) from the National Telecommunications Commission.

NOW Telecom is one of only four cellular mobile license holders apart from SMART, Globe Telecom, and Dito Telecommunity.

The partnership signing took place in Manila, Philippines, on October 24, 2019. The agreement was signed by Shim Sang-soo, Vice President and Head of Infra Business Office of SK Telecom, Dr. Thomas G. Aquino, NOW Corp Chairman, and Mel V. Velarde, NOW Telecom Chairman.

“SK Telecom is pleased to enter into a strategic partnership with NOW Corporation and NOW Telecom to deploy 5G network in the Philippines,” said Shim Sang-soo. “SK Telecom will work closely with NOW to achieve 5G network innovation to deliver greater value to NOW customers.”

“With SK Telecom’s global leadership in 5G, NOW can leapfrog competition and hit the mobile gigabit ground running with almost zero trial and error. Imagine the kind of compelling customer experience enjoyed by Koreans from 5G to arrive on our shores by a flick of a finger! That’s what this collaboration is all about,” said Mel V. Velarde.

“This strategic cooperation with SK Telecom is a historic milestone for NOW. SK Telecom brings its wealth of experience in 5G to provide unparalleled experience to Filipino data users. SK Telecom’s rich experience in deployment also means a robust, scalable, and cost-effective network for NOW. NOW is confident that the combination of cutting-edge and low-cost technology and innovative products and services will make NOW a true game-changer in the Philippine telco landscape,” said Dr. Thomas G. Aquino.