Pinoy Buzz: LTE

Smart to complete roll-out of 4,200 LTE sites nationwide by end-2017

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - As 2017 comes to a close, PLDT wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is expected to complete the upgrade of more than 4,200 3G and LTE sites nationwide as part of its network modernization effort. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN62uYsvS-vbST6xKJHqZPQWqLbGhuvFbHPYiPYhgkSKXGIkKu5e8jDIT9uyb2CVkFwAqKRaqmEn9GwI9HVLPHN0_Vd34WcdhZTmbLnufseKcIXWsNfzXxnStmq8MA0sk3_Tah9EeHQj6_/s1600/SMART-LTE-nationwide-2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Smart to complete roll-out of 4,200 LTE sites nationwide by end-2017" border="0" class="img" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="715" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN62uYsvS-vbST6xKJHqZPQWqLbGhuvFbHPYiPYhgkSKXGIkKu5e8jDIT9uyb2CVkFwAqKRaqmEn9GwI9HVLPHN0_Vd34WcdhZTmbLnufseKcIXWsNfzXxnStmq8MA0sk3_Tah9EeHQj6_/s1600/SMART-LTE-nationwide-2017.jpg" title="Smart to complete roll-out of 4,200 LTE sites nationwide by end-2017" /></a></div> “Our commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is to meet 90% municipality coverage next year for 3G and 4G mobile broadband, and we are well on-track to meet this,” said Joachim Horn, chief technology and information advisor for PLDT and Smart. “We are already at about 89%, so we will definitely meet that target early next year,” Horn added. For the past year, Smart has stepped-up its mobile data roll-out significantly, particularly for LTE. “This year, we more than doubled the number of sites which are capable of LTE,” said Horn, citing as an example Metro Manila, where about 90% of sites already have LTE. Improvements are already being felt throughout Metro Manila. Recent internal tests in Parañaque, for example, recorded median LTE download speeds of 17.9 Mbps and median upload speeds of 12 Mbps, while median download and upload speeds of 27.6 Mbps and 16.1 Mbps, respectively, were posted in Caloocan. In Taguig, Smart LTE posted median download speeds of 18.6 Mbps, while median upload speeds were at 13.7 Mbps. <div id="unruly-unit"></div> A second wave of upgrades Horn also cited “a second wave of upgrades” for Smart’s LTE sites—four-component carrier aggregation, or 4CC. “We already tried this in Boracay, and we have just completed the upgrade of Marikina, where we have upgraded all base stations with 4-carrier aggregation,” said Horn. “The benefit for the customer is much higher capacity, and much higher speeds. So if you go to Marikina, you will easily be able to achieve more than 100 Mbps—on your phone,” he added. “We are starting in Marikina, but our intention is to roll this out in Metro Manila in steps. And the next area is Quezon City,” said Horn. “Carrier Aggregation” (CA) allows for the combination two or more radio frequency bands in order to deliver bigger bandwidth and much faster data speeds to mobile users. 4CC aggregation features the combination of four separate spectrum blocks to deliver much greater capacity and speeds. Horn stressed that users need to be using 4CC-capable devices and LTE SIMs to be able to fully enjoy 4CC speeds. Earlier this year, Smart activated 4CC in Boracay, reaching average speeds of 280 Mbps in initial runs using Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, 4CC carrier aggregation-capable smartphones available in the market. After the initial deployment of 4CC technology in Metro Manila, Smart’s internal tests showed consistent delivery of speeds breaching 300 Mbps in a single-user scenario, and over 200 Mbps in a multi-user, daytime set-up. “This only goes to show that we have put in place a network that is capable of providing these high speeds,” Horn said. Smart has finished its LTE deployment in Metro Davao and Metro Cebu, in the island of Boracay, and in the province of Rizal. It is currently underway in Metro Manila and in key cities in other parts of the country. Smart is also partnering with device vendors in providing more affordable LTE-capable smartphones in the market, as well as actively urging its customers to upgrade to LTE SIMs so they can maximize the Smart’s LTE network. It recently launched an LTE SIM check via SMS program, where customers can text SIMCHECK to 5832 to check if their SIMS are LTE-capable already or not. — The Summit Express</div>

Smart to complete roll-out of 4,200 LTE sites nationwide by end-2017

MANILA, Philippines - As 2017 comes to a close, PLDT wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is expected to complete the upgrade of ...

Goodbye Telstra, San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - Despite the botched partnership with Telstra, San Miguel Corporation is expected to launch this year its mobile services through Bell Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (BellTel). <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweW9RUfsYYfunCpQCa4tihkxYUl21e2RLVKYQE-bXyouII-zrrcTjgo1p2vknRIyEadzi54JiqiwDidPNd6ZXxfDzDPmIkpVddXqbA0bFwyG0fQPwrhtrxw42Bkk0yh6016ZMwRkYMBTv/s1600/san-miguel-belltel-telstra.PNG" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016" border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweW9RUfsYYfunCpQCa4tihkxYUl21e2RLVKYQE-bXyouII-zrrcTjgo1p2vknRIyEadzi54JiqiwDidPNd6ZXxfDzDPmIkpVddXqbA0bFwyG0fQPwrhtrxw42Bkk0yh6016ZMwRkYMBTv/s640/san-miguel-belltel-telstra.PNG" title="San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Ramon Ang’s SMC and Australian telecom giant Telstra ends joint venture talk with a “no.” Then, ring the 'Bell.'</td></tr></tbody></table>“San Miguel’s entry in the telecom market will definitely be a game changer. When we launch, consumers will benefit from better, cheaper service,” SMC President and COO Ramon S. Ang said. Belltel, which SMC acquired in 2010 through Vega Telecom Inc, has 197 base stations in Metro Manila, of which 191 already have radio station licenses, Interaksyon has reported. Ang added that the company is currently testing the LTE service, which would be rolled out “very soon” or within 2016. “We won’t switch it on until it’s perfect,” he said to the media. Reports said that the company has ongoing rollout of base stations from Pampanga to Batangas. Same with major players, the concentration is still the National Capital Region (NCR). While on the stage of developing a mobile network, Telstra has offered aid in technical network design and construction consultancy to make SMC's network brand an equally competent rival of industry leaders, PLDT and Globe Telecom. The company also hired experienced engineers allegedly coming from the existing players in the country. “Both SMC and Telstra worked hard,” Ang says In a statement, San Miguel announced to public that both SMC and Telstra worked hard to come up with an acceptable resolution to some issues. "However, we agreed we can no longer continue with the talks. I believe this is best for all parties," Ang said. It can be remembered that the Filipino business tycoon made an announcement last October 2015 at the Forbes Global CEO Conference of the possibility of SMC having a joint venture with Telstra that will finally provide an unparalleled mobile and internet services in the country. The announcement was greeted with a very warm response by some Filipino mobile subscribers who have been consistently complaining of the alleged poor telecommunication service experience in the country. Some also claimed they are willing to pay a higher price just to enjoy the promising services of the SMC-Telstra backed network. On the other hand, Telstra's CEO Andrew Penn confirmed the news on a separate press statement saying that "While this opportunity is strategically attractive, and we have great respect for San Miguel Corporation and its President Mr (Ramon) Ang, it was obviously crucial that the commercial arrangements achieved the right risk-reward balance for all involved." Telstra supposed to invest USD1 billion to speed up PH internet Originally, Telstra was supposed to pour in a huge $US1 billion for the joint venture with SMC with the hope to enable the Philippines to experience the standard high-speed mobile and internet services, something which it doesn't have as compared to its ASEAN neighbors. The Philippines ranks lowly among its ASEAN peers in terms of having the fastest internet services while at the same time serves as one of the leaders in terms of having the most expensive broadband services being paid by its consumers. When Ookla conducted a household speedtest last May 2015, the Philippines showed very poorly among its Asian contemporaries, ranking 21st among the 22 countries, just above the cellar dweller Afghanistan. May 2015's Ookla houshold speedtest index result: 1. Singapore - 122.43 Mbps 2. Hong Kong - 102.96 Mbps 3. Japan - 82.12 Mbps 4. South Korea - 59.77 Mbps 5. Macau - 50.66 Mbps 6. Taiwan - 50.59 Mbps 7. Thailand - 19.82 Mbps 8. Mongolia - 17.92 Mbps 9. Vietnam - 17.70 Mbps 10. Bangladesh - 9.86 Mbps 11. Cambodia 9.04 Mbps 12. Nepal 8.63 Mbps 13. Brunei 7.99 Mbps 14. Bhutan - 7.82 Mbps 15. India 7.04 Mbps 16. Malaysia 7.03 Mbps 17. Laos 6.92 Mbps 18. Indonesia 6.68 Mbps 19. Myanmar 6.54 Mbps 20. Pakistan 4.00 Mbps 21. Philippines - 3.64 Mbps 22. Afghanistan - 2.52 Mbps Duopoly and corruption seen as obstacles in Telstra-SMC joint venture Aside from the differences that kept the two conglomerates from sending the go signal for their joint venture, other factors were also being analyzed in the business world. First, the threat of having a third player in the telecommunications industry backed by a foreign telecom giant made the duopoly of Philippine Long Distance Telephon Company (PLDT) and Globe Telecom Incorporated to allegedly implement all the necessary measures to block any possible attempts for SMC to bring the services of Telstra with it. Reports said that both have ramped up public awareness and lobbying to secure part of San Miguel’s 700 Mhz spectrum, a low-band frequency good for covering large areas efficiently. Utilizing the 700-MHz band would allow the deployment of a high-capacity LTE-based wireless and fixed broadband network to deliver higher data rate and LTE wireless broadband service. With the use of the 700-MHz frequency, broadband prices can go down further benefitting consumers. Another issue is the rampant bureaucratic corruption in which the Philippine government has been notoriously known for. Although the present government lifted up the global image of the Philippines, the vestiges of its old identity as an accessory to high-level corruption activities still persists. Take for example the busted 2008 NBN-ZTE deal in which the former first gentleman Mike Arroyo was accused of having a hand on it. -Michael Santiago/The Summit Express</div>

Goodbye Telstra, San Miguel to launch 'BellTel' this 2016?

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the botched partnership with Telstra, San Miguel Corporation is expected to launch this year its mobile servic...