Smart rolls out 4G LTE technology nationwide

CEBU, Philippines -  Smart Communications has announced it’s aggressive deployment of fourth generation (4G) Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology across the Philippines to enhance subscribers’ experience in the mobile service.

“We are upgrading our network as we speak and soon, our subscribers will be able to enjoy the breakneck speeds that LTE promises” said PLDT and Smart Technology Group head Rolando G. Peña.

 According to Peña, Smart LTE now covers most of Metro Manila and is also present here in Cebu City and Davao City.

 Introduced last April in Boracay, Smart LTE conducted its first public demo in Metro Manila last month.

 Based on actual speed tests, LTE is capable of reaching download speeds of up to 50 to 70 megabits per second and is thus dubbed as the fastest 4G technology in the Philippines today.

 In a recent study by market research and analysis firm In-Stat (www.instat.com), LTE uptake is seen to grow 3400% within the next 4 years. Analysts attribute the exponential growth to the public’s increasing hunger for smart devices and high-speed services.

 Similarly, the General Services Administration (GSA) recorded a 40 percent increase in the number of LTE-enabled gadgets in the United States during the period of March to June 2011.

 In its quest to bring the power of the Internet into the hands of every Filipino, Smart is also improving the coverage of its Evolved High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) service. HSPA+ is the natural evolution of standard High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology allowing for faster 3G download speeds.

 To date, Smart’s HSPA+ technology is present in major urban centers including Iloilo City in Visayas and Zamboanga City in Mindanao. Smart is set to bring in HSPA+ devices within the month.

 Smart, together with its parent company the Philippine Long Distance Co. (PLDT) has earmarked P67 billion to modernize its network.

 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. (FREEMAN)