Smart taps Nokia for faster roaming

MANILA, Philippines —Wireless giant Smart Communications Inc. is working with technology leader Nokia to improve roaming services, exploring a solution that no longer requires international traffic to go through the Philippines.

Smart yesterday said it has tapped Nokia to introduce the new software as a service (SaaS) for its subscribers abroad.

The solution, called Core SaaS Edge, allows roaming data to reach the nearest point of presence inside a foreign market, instead of traveling all the way to the telco’s home country.

Smart tested the solution at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in March, and saw its potential in raising roaming quality. When the solution was tested at the MWC in Barcelona, data looped to the closest point of presence in Europe.

Through this, subscribers can expect lower latency, or the amount of time for data to travel from one point to another. In turn, the solution will grant Smart subscribers faster browsing when abroad.

Menardo Jimenez Jr., chief operating officer of Smart’s parent PLDT Inc., said the solution, once activated, would enable customers to roam as if their device is connected to a local network.

Smart is also set to become the first telco in Southeast Asia to deploy Nokia’s latest solution.

Likewise, Smart will retain full control of charging policies and data caps from its home network even though subscribers are connecting to the nearest point of presence.

Nokia vice president for Asia-Pacific Henrique Vale said Nokia has created the Core SaaS Edge to break new boundaries in the connectivity industry. He underscored the need to scale up roaming services because of their importance to subscribers overseas.

“Solutions, such as our Core SaaS Edge, are advancing connectivity by unlocking better roaming experience for people worldwide. Working with telco service providers like Smart — innovators that are willing to push the boundaries of tomorrow — helps us take important steps to a brighter future,” Vale said.

Smart, for its part, committed to invest in the latest technologies on connectivity, promising that it would also bring new solutions for its subscribers abroad.