Smart 'broadbands' Bacolod venue

MANILA, Philippines - Football fans will be able to catch up-to-the-minute updates from Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City as the Philippine Azkals battle the Mongolian side in their AFC Challenge Cup match tonight.

With the local government and the organizers making sure the stadium meet the international standards, leading wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) guarantees the stadium is “broadband-ready” by the time local and international media plus the spectators from all over the country troop to the venue.

The stadium is expected to accommodate a crowd of more than 15,500.

“We acknowledge the importance of this sporting event, not just to the local fans of the sport but also to the international football community,” said Danilo Mojica, head of Smart’s Wireless Consumer Division. “We are glad to provide broadband connectivity to our friends in the media who will be breaking the news to the world. We are also ensuring continuous quality communication and data services for the thousands of fans who will be gathering for the game,” he said.

Smart is providing high-speed wireless broadband Internet at the stadium’s Media Center to allow media personnel to easily and quickly transmit data during the highly anticipated match. Likewise, Smart has firmed up its cellular and broadband coverage on the ground to accommodate the huge volume of voice calls, SMS and mobile data.