MANILA, Philippines - Sending emails on the go has finally become as easy and affordable as “texting.”

The country’s leading mobile service provider Smart Communications Inc. on Tuesday launched a new service that would allow subscribers to send e-mails from their mobile phones as much as they want for a fixed monthly fee.

Company officials said the new flat rate data promo, which would be available to post-paid subscribers for P299 a month on top of their bills, would pave the way for the increased use of broadband technology through cellular phones.

Broadband service is deemed the next major growth area for local telecommunications firms since growth of the “telephony” market, referring to traditional voice call and short messaging service (SMS) offerings, appears to have leveled off.

The company announced its new offering along with news of its tie-up with Nokia.

On Tuesday the Finish mobile phone maker launched its newest model in the Philippine market, the E75.

The new phone’s key feature, according to company officials, is its Nokia Messaging application, which is similar to the “Push” e-mail applications on other mobile phone brands.

The push e-mail capability allows users to directly access their personal e-mail accounts using their mobile phones, without having to connect using a browser.

“Smart is pleased to be the first operator to bring Nokia Messaging in the Philippines. More and more customers—even nonbusiness users—are looking for a reliable service that allows them to have e-mail pushed automatically to their handsets while on the move,” Smart wireless consumer division head Danilo Mojica said.

The new application aims to lower the cost of data services to encourage existing mobile phone subscribers to use e-mail.

“When used on the Nokia E75, Nokia Messaging makes it effortless to set up push e-mail accounts, providing an unprecedented ease of use and convenience to our customers,” Mojica said.