MANILA, Philippines?Mobile network TM, the sister brand of Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc., has launched a new ?unlimited? text messaging service that will allow its subscribers to reach users from all networks.

The new ?ASTIGUNLITEXTALL? service, however, will be initially available for TM subscribers in General Santos City.

Under the service, TM subscribers will be able to send the 84 million mobile phone users in all networks in the country, may it be from Smart Communications, Talk N? Text, Red Mobile or Globe.

?General Santos subscribers don?t need to change SIMs just to be able to text to other networks,? the company said. General Santos is one of the strongest areas in the country for TM. The low-cost network corners 45 percent of the market in the province.

?They just need to be connected with TM to get in touch not just with their circles in General Santos or Mindanao, but also with their families, friends and loved ones anywhere in the country,? it added.

To get the service, TM subscribers in GenSan can register by texting UNLITXTALL to 8888. This is the first promotion in the country that allows users to enjoy discounted rates for text services regardless of network.

?There are inter-network text offers available in the market today but they are not unlimited,? said TM head of activations Winsley Bangit said.

? With TM ASTIGUNLITXTALL, our TM subscribers in General Santos can enjoy the benefits of unlimited text messaging to all networks while giving them the best value every day,? he said.

Together with TM, Globe has around 26.5 million subscribers in the country, or around a third of the local market.

Dominating the industry is Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), which has over 45 million users.?Paolo Montecillo