Smart’s GSM Switch 2 in Cebu inaugurated

Telecommunications leader Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) inaugurated yesterday Smart’s GSM Switch 2 in Cebu, thereby empowering the city to become an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) haven.

This infrastructure, along with PLDT’s enhanced products and services such as Teletipid, Text 135, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service, and ePLDT’s WebHosting, is expected to pave the way for the development of the telecommunications technology in Cebu that will spur its economic growth.

The GSM Switch 2 is part of Smart’s P21-billion expansion program for its GSM network that will substantially increase the capacity of the digital phone network all over the country. The installation of this switch will enable Cebu to have innovative network solutions for the varying coverage requirements of its higher traffic communications needs.

This is expected to contribute greatly to the improvement of the quality of its mobile phone service. "The GSM network that we are deploying in Cebu and the rest of the country is not only a cellular network but also a platform that individuals, organizations and government agencies can tap to develop their own wireless data services, " Smart president and chief executive officer Napoleon L. Nazareno said.

Teletipid is the country’s first pre-paid landline service to provide PLDT subscribers the same clear connection and nationwide access of a regular landline but without the monthly subscriber fees. Text 135 is the first nationwide landline texting service.

With TXT 135, PLDT fixed line customers can send a one-way text message to any Smart Gold, Smart Buddy or Piltel Talk’N Text cellphone using a PLDT/Teletipid landline or a PLDT payphone. DSL service is a premium Digital Subscriber Line that delivers high-speed broadband access to the Internet, multimedia rich content, and corporate networks over a single telephone line.

Web hosting is a service offered to various businesses that allows them to rent out virtual space on ePLDT’s web servers in VitroTM (ePLDT’s InternetData Center). Web hosting offers the complete outsourcing service that is required to create, manage, and maintain a business Web site. "DSL service gives subscribers fast and reliable always-on connectivity that can open up many possibilities for business," PLDT corporate business group head Alfredo Panlilio.

"We believe that Cebu is now all set for ICT. Most of the access solutions we have are concentrated in Cebu. By the end of the year, we look forward to PLDT becoming the biggest Internet pipe in the country. On the other hand, the web hosting service offered by ePLDT will assist businesses of all sizes that may lack the time, resources, or inclination to establish web presence. – Mary Ann Reyes