Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) on Tuesday said it would acquire almost a third of Blue Ocean Wireless, a Dublin-based maritime communications provider, as part of plans to offer mobile phone services aimed at almost half a million Filipinos that work in the global shipping industry.

The Philippines’ largest phone operator, which is partly owned by Hong Kong’s First Pacific and Japan’s NTT, is seeking new revenue drivers as growth in mobile phone subscriptions slows and competition gets tougher.