MANILA, Philippines - At the recent Kadayawan Festival in Davao City, Smart Communications Inc. attained double the data speed of current fourth-generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology in trials using ‘LTE-Advanced’ — the mobile broadband technology which can deliver data rates in excess of 200 megabytes per second (Mbps), up to a possible 700 Mbps. Photo shows PLDT and Smart Technology Group head Rolando Peña (center) with his laptop showing breakneck speed of 210.58 Mbps achieved by Smart at the tests of LTE Advanced held at the PLDT-Smart office in downtown Davao City, as Kadayawan’s ‘Indak-indak sa Dalan’ dancers performed on the street. With Peña are Allan Siao of Smart’s access planning, with his laptop showing the super-fast speed of 62.71 Mbps of current Smart LTE, and Jerry Lin, Wireless Solution Department head of network equipment provider Huawei Philippines. ‘These tests demonstrate the readiness of the Smart network infrastructure to meet the demands of technologies that go beyond LTE. LTE Advanced will work hand-in-glove with our extensive and robust fiber-powered network which, as we speak, we continue to expand and strengthen,’ said Peña. Smart recently tested LTE Advanced in Metro Manila, with the network reaching the same ultra-fast speeds reached in Davao City.