CEBU, Philippines — About 90 percent of the Philippines is now connected through broadband infrastructure and Internet access, announced Smart Communications Inc.,(Smart) yesterday.
The completion of 90 percent internet connection coverage is part of Smart’s commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to cover at least 90 percent of cities and municipalities to address the growing demand for broadband infrastructure and internet access within three years from the grant of the use of frequencies by the NTC in 2016.
“These network enhancement and expansion activities are part of our commitment to provide world-class connectivity across the nation,” said Mario G. Tamayo, Senior Vice President for network planning and engineering for PLDT and Smart.
Accelerated LTE-a rollout
Smart has been deploying LTE, LTE-Advanced and carrier aggregation across the country as part of Smart’s efforts to improve mobile data experience of Smart, TNT and Sun customers nationwide.
Carrier aggregation (CA) is a feature of LTE-A which enables the combination of two or more radio frequency bands in order to deliver much faster data speeds to mobile phone users. 2-Component Carrier (2CC) carrier aggregation features the combination of two frequencies, while 3CC involves three frequencies and 4CC, four bands.
Amid this ramped-up LTE-A rollout, the number of sites nationwide with 3CC increased by 26 percent from end-2017.
Users of 3CC-capable smartphones can experience speeds of up to 300 Mbps, while users of 4CC-capable smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 can experience up to 400 Mbps speeds in areas where 3-component and 4-component carrier aggregation have been activated.
Smart has also finished its latest round of network upgrades in Metro Manila, where Smart, TNT and Sun customers can use their enhanced LTE and LTE-A connections to watch their favorite shows and videos on-the-go, as well as for online shopping, and accessing other online services via capable smartphones.
As of September, Smart has installed about 5,700 new LTE base stations across the country, boosting the total count to about 14,400—a 65-percent increase from the end-2017 count. Smart also increased the number of 3G base stations on its network to about 11,000.
Most extensive fiber network
On the other hand, PLDT’s fiber optic transmission and distribution network, the country’s most extensive fiber network at 221,000 kilometers, also supports Smart’s mobile network by providing high-capacity fiber connections for LTE base stations.
“With our improved fixed and wireless networks, we are in the best position to serve our customers’ growing need for digital services, particularly video,” Tamayo said.
“As we roll-out LTE and LTE-A to more areas, we are also helping families stay connected, empowering entrepreneurs, and aiding local governments deliver timely services to their people,” Tamayo added.