Smart LTE users spike 82% on network upgrade

MANILA, Philippines — PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications has seen a spike in the number of customers which are on LTE following sustained network improvement efforts.

Smart said its improved LTE network has resulted in an 82-percent year-on-year increase in the number of LTE data users as of end-September.

“This means that a growing number of Smart, TNT and Sun subscribers are able to enjoy marked improvements in their data experience given that LTE provides the best customer experience in terms of speed and reduced latency,” Smart said.

In the first nine months of the year, Smart has increased the number of its 4G/LTE base stations by about 5,500, pushing the number of total LTE base stations across its network to about 21,700.

To complement its LTE network rollout, Smart has partnered with popular smartphone manufacturers in getting more LTE-capable handsets out in the market.

Smart has also been actively encouraging its customers to upgrade, offering Free YouTube services to those who upgrade to LTE SIMs and LTE handsets.  

 “By encouraging our customers to shift to LTE, we can achieve our goal of providing them the best customer experience,” Smart president and CEO Alfredo Panlilio said.

Mobile internet traffic of Smart, TNT and Sun mobile brands reached 1.1 exabytes in the first three quarters of the year, twice as large as the volume recorded in the same period last year.

Driving the surge in data traffic are the use of video and e-games, both of which require the support of a good mobile network.

The sustained improvement of the PLDT-Smart network has been supported by a record capital expenditures program estimated at P78.4 billion this year, of which P53.4 billion was already spent at the end of September.

The 2019 capex includes investments in network and IT systems, including investments in increased LTE coverage and capacity, expanded fiber transport and new international cable networks, as well as the roll-out of last-mile installation and customer premises equipment for fixed broadband.

Improvements in Smart’s network have been recognized by independent third party surveys, which showed that it offers a superior customer experience, particularly for video.
In a report, mobile data analytics firm Opensignal said Smart provides the country’s best video experience, download speed experience, upload speed experience and latency experience.

Meanwhile, Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, also found that PLDT and Smart delivered the country’s fastest fixed and mobile data speeds for the first half, as they continued to widen their respective leads over their competitors.

PLDT’s fiber infrastructure, which also supports Smart’s mobile network, is now at more than 307,000 kilometers nationwide.