In 2014, Sun Cellular remained steadfast in delivering on its commitment to provide best-value services that Filipinos have come to know and love.  The year marked significant Sun Cellular milestones and offers that further empowered the increasingly mobile Filipino.

Sun-powered connections--anytime, anywhere in the Philippines
The backbone of every mobile service is its network and Sun Cellular focused on expanding its network reach to various regions within the country. With strongers signal reaching even the farthest regions of the Philippines, Filipinos can enjoy the benefits of Sun Cellular’s expanded coverage areas outside the Metro, including Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Mindoro Islands, Romblon, and Sorsogon in Southern Luzon; Apayao, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Cagayan, La Union, and Mountain Province in Northern Luzon; Capiz, Aklan, Bohol and Southern Leyte in the Visayas; Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur, Misamis Occidental, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and North Cotabato in Mindanao.

#FREEInternet
With the unrivaled network capacity of parent-firm, PLDT, Sun Cellular, together with Smart and Talk ‘N Text, in an unprecedented move, provided free Internet access to postpaid, prepaid and broadband subscribers. The service is designed to give more Filipinos the opportunity to try out, experience, and enjoy the benefits of the Internet. To avail of the free mobile internet offer, Sun Cellular subscribers must maintain a balance of P1 and must register each day, by simply sending “FREE” to the number “9999.”

Expanded retail presence via the Sun Shop on Wheels
Efforts to reach more Filipinos rose to a new whole level as Sun Cellular unveiled the Sun Shop on Wheels –Sun’s new retail channel designed to provide the same in-store services as the regular Sun Shops. To be rolled out at key cities of Metro Manila, and selected provincial areas by next year, the Sun Shop on Wheels are targeting to meet daily customer transactions in areas where there is limited access to Sun retail outlets.

New and practical connectivity offers
More connectivity offers had been unveiled by Sun Cellular to provide its subscribers with affordable, accessible and relevant communication options. From Sun Postpaid offers such as the MIX IT 99, which allows subscribers to beef up their plans with connectivity bundles for just an additional P99 a month, to prepaid offers such as the Sun ADD 2, which allows subscribers to expand the value of two pesos through unlimited Facebook, unlimited chat through Viber, WeChat, and Line, or 5mb mobile surfing, Sun Cellular continues to be at the forefront of providing Good Choices to budget-conscious yet success-driven Filipinos. Sun Cellular also made the latest gadgets more accessible to increasingly tech-savvy Pinoys. These offers include the mobile TV-capable Starmobile Engage 7TV tablet and Starmobile smartphone bundle that will allow anyone to enjoy their favorite TV shows whenever or wherever they may be. There’s also the Sony Playstation Vita 2000, which enables Pinoy console gamers to enjoy hit games such as Tearaway, Guacamelee, Metal Gear Solid, and Rayman Origins, among many others. The nifty yet powerful portable projector, the PIXPRO Projector alongside 4-inch Coby CMP400 and Coby grenade-type Bluetooth speaker are also being offered by Sun Cellular, for compelling presentations or even just for the movie-viewing pleasure of families and friends.

Wearable tech within everyone’s reach
In an effort to empower more Filipinos with the latest technology trends, Sun Postpaid offered wearables through insanely affordable and value-laded packages. Through the light-on-the-pocket Sun Plan 499 or Plan 649, Sun Postpaid subscrbers can now get their hands on these incredible wearables, which also come with a smartphone, plus unlimited Sun calls and texts, texts to other networks, mobile surfing and unlimited music streaming via Spinnr.  For just P499 a month, one can choose from either the Alcatel Boomband with the Alcatel Pop D5 smartphone and the Polaroid Pogo smart watch with the Polaroid Prof 700. While for P649 a month, one can get the Nokia Treasure Tag, with the Nokia Lumia 630.

A rich and rewarding digital experience
To promote a digital lifestyle, Sun Cellular opened access to a marketplace of rich content accessible anytime, anywhere. Subscribers enjoyed the benefits of mobile content and premium entertainment—all via their Sun-powered smartphones and tablets. Using their airtime, Sun subscribers can now enjoy unlimited streaming of songs via Spinnr, access a wide selection of digital books and local e-magazine titles for tablets and smartphones via Buqo, and purchase e-pins to enjoy online gaming via GameX.  In the same year, Sun Cellular rolled out its newest program, Sun Choice Rewards, designed to enhance the experience of Sun Cellular prepaid, postpaid, and broadband subscribers. Through the Sun Choice Rewards program, Sun subscribers can redeem a variety of perks using the points earned from continued use of Sun Cellular services. The roster of redeemable gifts from Sun Choice Rewards include free regular load credits for prepaid subscribers, connectivity bundles and bill rebates for postpaid subscribers, additional surfing hours and bill rebates for broadband subscribers, and even music credits for Spinnr. Sun Cellular is also expected to roll out new and exciting rewards soon.

Bridging the distance between overseas families
Sun Cellular unveiled its Sun Todo IDD 200, a service bundle which offers calls to the United States, Brunei, Canada, Guam, Hawaii, Northern Marianas, among others at a special rate of only P1.50 per minute. Sun Cellular’s Todo ITXT 30 Plus, on the other hand, allowed one to send a text message to several countries which include Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France and many others for as low as 25 centavos per message. To give Sun Postpaid subscribers a worry-free roaming experience, Sun Cellular introduced this year new simplified pricing for text and data services categorized based on two zones – Middle East and America on one hand, and the rest of the world on the other. Under this new scheme, Sun Postpaid subscribers who are travelling to countries in America and the Middle East will only have to pay a flat rate of PHP18 per text message and PHP3 per 10 kilobytes of data. On the other hand, subscribers who are bound for countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania will be charged with a flat rate of PHP23 per text message and PHP5 per 10 kilobytes of data. Sun Postpaid also unveiled its All-Day Data Roaming, the country’s lowest roaming offer in select Asian destinations for only Php430 per day. With this, Sun Postpaid subscribers may now roam conveniently by tapping Sun’s reliable Roaming Partners in select Asian destinations, including Singapore (M1); Hong Kong (Smartone); Malaysia (Celcom); Saudi Arabia (STC); Taiwan (FarEasTone); Vietnam (Vinaphone); Macau (Smartone); Qatar (Qtel Ooredoo); Cambodia (Smart Axiata); Bangladesh (Robi Axiata Limited); and Sri Lanka (Dialog Sri Lanka).  With these offers, Sun Cellular allows Filipinos to connect with loved ones abroad more frequently, so they can bridge any distance between them, and keep their relationships intact.

Future-proofing SMEs
To empower more small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to be ASEAN-ready, Sun Business together with PLDT SME Nation, Smart Enterprise ushered in the convergence of its fixed and wireless ICT solutions, including robust access solutions and value-added connectivity packages, geared to enhance the competitiveness and capabilities of SMEs in the country. Now, SMEs can enjoy the best of everything—from expert offerings of PLDT, innovative solutions by Smart Enterprise, to value-rich tools from Sun Business. With the PLDT Group’s world-class ICT solutions under one roof, it is much easier for the SME sector to communicate to the market, to respond to customer demands, and to  future-proof their businesses with a greater level of competitiveness and efficiency.

A preferred connectivity partner
In 2014, Sun Cellular sealed partnerships with institutions to further promote good choices and value-rich connectivity offers. Sun was tapped as a connectivity partner of premiere local and international beauty pageants—Miss Teen Philippines, Miss World Philippines, and the recently-concluded Miss Earth pageant—to provide its connectivity solutions to pageant organizers and patrons. At the Miss World Philippines pageant, Sun Cellular made history by being the first telco to launch a text-voting service which enabled Sun subscribers to vote for their favorite candidates with just a few clicks on the mobile phones. Sun Cellular, through Sun Broadband also partnered with Ministop to bring the convenience and benefits of the Sun’s best-value broadband offers to Ministop branches nationwide. As part of the partnership, Sun Broadband launched a special SIM, priced at P50, that can only be purchased in Ministop branches numbering over 400 across the country. Also in 2014, Sun Cellular sealed a partnership with Easy Taxi through which, Sun subscribers can get a chance to win exclusive freebies, including a chance to book the Sun Easy Taxi car for free to any destination in Manila.

Promoting a culture of good choices
More personalities have made the Good Choice in 2014. After a series of teasers, multi-awarded drama actress, Angel Locsin and actress and commercial model, Carla Abellana were tapped as the newest Sun Prepaid ambassadors to promote practical and wise mobile usage. Filipino leading actor, host, blogger, traveler, foodie Mikael Daez is one of the newest brand ambassadors of Sun Postpaid. By supporting the year’s top beauty pageants, Sun Cellular also had the unique opportunity to tap a group of inspiring women who exemplify the virtues of beauty, excellence, and intelligence. From Miss Teen Philippines 2014 Reissha Nicole Magadia, Miss World Philippines finalist Kimberly Anne Sarreal, to Miss Earth 2014 Jamie Herrell, each Filipino beauty became Sun Cellular’s partner in the promotion of  good choices, positive values and success.  

Clearly, 2014 has been a great year for Sun Cellular and its subscribers. Now what in store for 2015? One thing is for sure: Sun Cellular will continue to be the Good Choice with its best-value products and services for the empowerment of the Filipinos.