Smart fires up more LTE sites

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc., the wireless arm of dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), continues to expand the coverage of its fast Internet connection through its long term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband service in the provinces.

Kathy Carag, head of postpaid business of Smart, said in a statement that the company has close to 1,000 LTE-enabled sites located in over 115 cities and municipalities across the Philippines.

Carag said the world’s fastest mobile broadband service is also now available in more areas outside Metro Manila such as Ilocos Norte, Tagaytay City, Bohol, Bacolod City, and Davao del Sur.

New areas that now have LTE coverage include Robinsons Summit Ridge and Tagaytay Midlands in Tagaytay City, La Salle Dasmarinas in Cavite, Tagbilaran Domestic Airport in Bohol, Laoag International Airport in Ilocos Norte, Robinsons Place in Bacolod City, and SM Lanang Premier in Davao Del Sur.

To get more subscribers to experience LTE, Carag said Smart also unveiled an unlimited LTE plan bundled with the new Samsung Galaxy S4, touted as the world’s most advanced Android phone.

“Our LTE service is the only connection that can keep up with the Samsung Galaxy S4’s demands. Not only is Smart LTE faster and more reliable, but it is also the Philippines’ most widely-available LTE service,” she added.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is available for free, bundled with the Smart Unli Data Plan 2000*, which comes with unlimited LTE connectivity and 200 SMS and 150 minutes of calls to all networks.

With its hardware that could rival even those found in most laptops and tablets, the Samsung Galaxy S4 easily trumps its competitors in terms of features and overall performance -- making it the most powerful smartphone available in the market today.

“A phone such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 deserves nothing less than Smart LTE. With our world-class high-speed data service, this ‘life companion’ lives up to its nickname as it enables our subscribers to truly ‘Live More’,” Carag said.

Smart’s expanded LTE coverage is supported by over 54,000kms of fiber optic cables (FOCs) connecting the wireless leader’s base stations to the core network, enabling it and its parent company PLDT to deliver the best data services at the speed of light.