With the recent launch of Umobile, we cant help but wonder how this free load works and how many advertisements would we receive. How can Umobile work in the Philippines?

Let’s take the “100 peso load” as an example
With the given rates of of Umobile, a 100 peso load can:

• send 666 text messages (Php 0.15/text ü to ü)
  or
• call up to 20 mins (Php 5/min ü to ü)

But to get 100 peso load, I need to receive 200 ads. Receiving 200 ads per month is equivalent to 50 ads/week. So that means, receiving 50 ads/week can give me:

• 166 text messages per week or
• 5 mins talk time per week

Receiving 50 ads per week is equivalent to receiving 7 ads/day. Is it worth receiving 7 ads per day for this?

1. 300 text messages, PLUS
2. 11 mins of talk time per month

300 text messages * o.15 = 45 pesos
11mins * 5 = 55 pesos
45 pesos + 55 = 100 pesos

I think, 300 text messages per month is a lot already. If I’m an active texter, Umobile can work for me. But if I call more often than text, I can choose to answer only 7 ads/day, and buy an additional 300 peso load. That will give me 80 mins more talk time. But that will depend on how I want to spend my load.

Not sure if Umobile’s low charging rates are enough for people to drop their existing postpaids/prepaids and completely switch to Umobile. But Umobile has this ‘change number’ feature which makes people proud of their personalized 0999 number and this could possibly attract them to keep Umobile as their secondary SIM. If everyone else is on Umobile, then their low rates for voice calls and text messages will be more appreciated.