Smart to deploy 4G network in Visayas

CEBU, Philippines -  Smart Communications Inc., announced the major deployment of its Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology or the fourth generation (4G) network in the Visayas next month.

The country’s wireless leader Smart Communication’s president and chief executive officer (CEO) Napoleon Nazareno said that LTE will be made available in most part of the Visayas.

The fourth-generation (4G) network will soon make its way out of the white sand beaches of Boracay and into the concrete pavements of major urban centers around the country.

According to Smart Head for IT and Network Systems Rolando G. Peña, Long Term Evolution (LTE) will be made available in Metro Manila by the end of May with Cebu, Davao, and other major Philippine cities and municipalities following shortly.

“We are excited to see how people will take to LTE in a real world setting. Deploying the technology in areas where Filipinos live and work is a great way to see just how LTE will affect their lives, “said Peña.

First introduced in the midst of the hustle and bustle of summer, in the hottest vacation destination in the country that is Boracay, LTE is the next step in wireless data technology.

It is by far, the most advanced means of meeting and exceeding the demands of a content-hungry subscriber base as proven by its rollout in Japan (NTT DoCoMo) and in Europe (TeliaSonera).

“Being able to just call and text no longer cuts it in this new age of mobile telephony” Peña said.

 “Data access and Internet connectivity have become just as essential and it will continue to be so in the foreseeable future,” he added.

With LTE, Smart subscribers will experience blazing fast download speeds of 50 - 70 megabits per second—allowing them to benefit from the wonders of the web faster than ever before. Tasks that once required long wait times such as downloading applications, watching high definition videos or accessing large documents will now take no more than mere seconds with the power of the new network.

The developments however, do not stop there as Smart has already announced that they are ready to increase LTE’s throughput to up to 100mbps as soon as the market demands for it. This, as defined by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), makes Smart’s LTE network a genuine 4G infrastructure as it exceeds the minimum required speed (100mbps) for high mobility connections.

As part of its continuing commitment to 3G, Smart is also enhancing its existing network by simultaneously upgrading more base stations with High Speed Packet Access Plus (HSPA+) technology. (FREEMAN)