Philippines now on '5G' technology, Smart says

MANILA, Philippines — Telco Smart Communications Inc. announced Thursday the deployment of "5G" wireless technology Long-Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) in the Philippines, after offering the 4G LTE connectivity since 2012.

"Smart switched on LTE-A at the Smart Jump Center in Mandaluyong City recently, setting the next phase of mobile communication technology beyond 4G LTE standards," Smart said in a statement.

5G delivers data from between 100 megabits per second to one gigabit per second--ten times faster than the standard 3G connection and about twice as fast as 4G.

A 10-megabyte file, for example, is expected to be downloaded within a second with the new technology while YouTube videos no longer have to buffer. Video calls are also smoother.

"But beyond speed, LTE-A’s main feature is also its capability to allocate more network resources to users when the need arises," Smart said.

Orlando Vea, founder and chief wireless advisor of Smart, said that the telco is among the first in the world to carry the LTE-A network.

"Even as our 3G and 4G networks continue to be unrivaled, Smart becomes the first operator to leap into the future and put the Philippines at par with the world's most advanced countries in terms of mobile communications technology," Vea said.

The technology has been tested in Makati City, Boracay island and in Davao City during its yearly Kadayawan festival, delivering speed results of more than 100 megabits per second.