Quote Originally Posted by gbaltaza View Post
Hi everyone.

I just want to know if it is "FREE" to use Garmin GPS service in the Philippines or do I have to pay a system provider or something. Because, one of my officemates in the Philippines told me that I should not buy a Garmin GPS here in US because GPS service in the Philippines is not free and very expensive.
Libre naman ...

Baka nalito lang kaibigan mo, GPS tracking vis-a-vis GPS navigation, although there are GPS navigation units that charge an annual (or monthly) fee. An example is the one using the Mitac Mio (I forgot the software), posted somewhere sometime here in tsikot as the 1st GPS navigation system in the Philippines. Another is Nokia's Smart2Go, which came pre-loaded in my N95.

But if it's a Garmin, I think the only additional charges are optional features like XM Navtraffic - similar to the UK's Traffic Message Channel - that feeds broadcasted data to the satnav to navigate around traffic tie-ups and accidents. Besides being an option for some units, AFAIK there's no such system in the Philippines, so satellite navigation for most units (even non-Garmins) is pretty much free.

BTW, GPS satellites were put in place by the US Department of Defense. Ronald Reagan issued a directive for its services to be made available for free for civilian use, after the Soviets shot down KAL Flight 007 that went off-course into Soviet airspace in the early 80's.