CEBU, Philippines - Following the announcement of US telco AT&T that it will soon offer built-in LTE connectivity in private vehicles, Philippine wireless leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) said that a similar application of the technology is already possible locally through the use of the Smart LTE Pocket WiFi device.
According to Smart Broadband Internet and Data Services Head Lloyd Manaloto, ‘auto’ mobile LTE can already be experienced in major cities and municipalities given Smart LTE’s widespread deployment in the country.
“The way ‘auto’ mobile LTE works is that LTE-enabled SIMs are installed in taxis, buses, jeepneys, or trains, thus, making available wireless services to passengers and even to the vehicle itself,†said Smart Manaloto. “While we await for the local introduction of this feature, the Smart LTE Pocket WiFi is the next best thing,†he added.
Manaloto explains that automobile LTE would also be ideal in local public transport as it could make available next-generation high speed Internet access to millions of Filipinos.
The MRT alone, which travels along Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue (EDSA), the Philippines’ busiest thoroughfare, has a daily ridership of around 500,000.
Apart from this, various forms of mass transportation will also be given the chance to access GPS and location data in real time as well as gain the ability to transmit data such as when wirelessly livestreaming CCTV footage.
“Imagine a future of cars with an integrated SIM slot. True mobility, literally and digitally!—commuters in the Philippines’ busiest cities could soon begin to Live More even while they’re stuck in rush hour traffic,†said Manaloto.
Smart LTE is currently present in a total of 46 cities and 69 municipalities around the country.
Dubbed the fastest wireless technology in the world today, LTE is capable of download speeds which are several times faster than present-day 3G and HSPA+ standards.
Powering Smart LTE is the Philippines’ most extensive Fiber Optic Cable (FOC) network. With more than 54,000 kilometers of FOCs installed across the country, Smart, together with parent company PLDT, has over four times more fiber power compared to its closest competitors.
“Fiber optic cables use beams of light to communicate from the core network to our base stations,†said Manaloto. “This gives Smart a clear ‘fiber optic advantage’ which simply cannot be matched by any other network,†he added. (FREEMAN)