Pinoy Buzz: smart

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 ...

Smart rolls out 4.5G LTE-Advanced mobile service in PH

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications (Smart) has begun to roll out the country’s first LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) service which can provide significantly higher data speeds than existing LTE services using a capability called “carrier aggregation.” <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/AVvXsEhnX_z0vFfqvJaZKMuWmwXfLQMg1P27WnztQercVzpPCFFRzYXohwr4TWLA9pyqFmEOUTsQQns2YHH2p11Ov1S1czsBwk2lgRg_3JPVfU6wuK2pbjSDwz3JC1G8S-3GP0lbH3TtYrKS5YcZ/s1600/smart-lte-advanced-boracay.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="PLDT Chief Technology and Information Advisor Joachim Horn introduces Smart's LTE-A service." border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnX_z0vFfqvJaZKMuWmwXfLQMg1P27WnztQercVzpPCFFRzYXohwr4TWLA9pyqFmEOUTsQQns2YHH2p11Ov1S1czsBwk2lgRg_3JPVfU6wuK2pbjSDwz3JC1G8S-3GP0lbH3TtYrKS5YcZ/s640/smart-lte-advanced-boracay.jpg" title="PLDT Chief Technology and Information Advisor Joachim Horn introduces Smart's LTE-A service." width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PLDT Chief Technology and Information Advisor Joachim Horn introduces Smart's LTE-A service. Photo Credit: PLDT Media</td></tr></tbody></table>Initially deployed in Boracay, Aklan, one of the country’s leading tourist destinations, Smart’s LTE-A service there has posted speeds of up to 250 Mbps. “With the introduction of our LTE-Advanced service, the next stage of development of 4th generation of mobile technology, Smart is again at the technology forefront, setting the bar higher for mobile service experience,” said Joachim Horn, PLDT and Smart chief technology and information advisor. Smart joins the short list of operators around the world that have tested and rolled out the technology, which is also referred to as 4.5G. This list includes Optus in Australia, Sprint in the US, and Turkcell in Turkey, among others. “Combined with our other network improvement initiatives for both our mobile and fixed line networks, the introduction of LTE-A will help boost internet services in the country and enable more Filipinos to enjoy and benefit from the fast-growing range of digital services that PLDT and Smart offer,” he said. “We are also planning ahead, in anticipation of future advances in technology. Our current investments in network facilities are already being done in a way that will enable us to be ready for 5G when it arrives sometime in 2020. For this purpose, we are working closely with NTT DoCoMo, which is one of the global pace-setters in the development of 5G,” Horn added. A much wider highway Carrier aggregation refers to the ability of LTE-A to combine two or more radio frequency bands in order to deliver bigger bandwidth and faster data speeds to mobile users. “This is like being able to put together two or more separate highways in order to create a wider highway through which vehicular traffic can flow more freely and at a much faster rate,” Horn said. “Wireless technologies being a shared resource, the actual customer experience is typically less than the peak speeds being registered during tests. But, carrier aggregation on LTE-A, by combining the capacities of two or more frequency bands, will enable Smart to deliver to subscribers with LTE-A devices consistently higher speeds than is possible using LTE. In Boracay, we have combined three frequencies, which is a first in the country,” he explained. For Smart subscribers using LTE-A capable devices, this translates into superior experiences when using various data services, particularly bandwidth-heavy services like video- and audio-streaming, and gaming. Currently, the LTE-A capable devices include the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. Other handset manufacturers are expected to introduce their own LTE-A devices soon. Smart ran several tests of LTE-A in 2013 – in Boracay during the Geeks on a Beach startup conference; in Davao City during the Kadayawan festival; and in Makati City. The introduction of LTE-A capable devices since then has opened the door for its roll-out. A broader effort Horn explained that LTE-A is the “cutting edge” of a broader effort to improve the cellular and mobile internet services of Smart and Sun subscribers. In a network integration program started last year, for example, Smart and Sun have been synergizing their networks to improve the coverage and quality of service for the subscribers of both brands using 2G, 3G and LTE capable devices. “For example, where it makes technical and marketing sense, we equip a single cell site – either of Smart or Sun – so that this can serve the subscribers of both brands,” Jorn said. As a result of this program, depending on the area, the effective coverage for Smart and Sun subscribers increases by anywhere from 50% to 100%. The program is expected to be completed by end-2016 or early 2017. This was part of PLDT’s P43-billion capital expenditure program (capex) in 2015 and will be funded by the 2016 capex budget which has been set at the same level. In this program, specific attention is being given to enhancing 3G/HSPA/HSPA+ coverage and capacity because about 90% of Smart and Sun subscribers who go online use 3G handsets. “Improving our 3G data service thus delivers immediate benefits to the largest number of people in our subscriber base. At the same time, we have been expanding the coverage of our LTE network because the number of subscribers using LTE phones is steadily rising,” Horn said. “And now, we have also begun to deploy LTE-A. The pace of this deployment will be driven by several factors, including the rate at which subscribers start using LTE-A capable devices,” he added.</div>

Smart rolls out 4.5G LTE-Advanced mobile service in PH

MANILA, Philippines - PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications (Smart) has begun to roll out the country’s first LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) s...

Smart topples Telstra, wins 'best mobile operator ' award from int’l body

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - For the second straight year, the country's wireless services leader Smart Communications (Smart) was named Best Mobile Operator in the prestigious World Communication Awards, an annual recognition program for innovation and outstanding performance in the global telecommunications industry. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT71HIflekchvOPicZ3wI6OIx24SO44cOL-ivI_YEhXNYkwtwTXVASEc_Z2FUwYfOPxEAgWw_kfN1SPPHS7T_fRvNmMvkMM4UaJ3zQiejuJODGGZguwpngzVlVtp2t6V2mrDaKgRpqAzVP/s1600/smart-telstra-wca-2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="smart vs telstra" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT71HIflekchvOPicZ3wI6OIx24SO44cOL-ivI_YEhXNYkwtwTXVASEc_Z2FUwYfOPxEAgWw_kfN1SPPHS7T_fRvNmMvkMM4UaJ3zQiejuJODGGZguwpngzVlVtp2t6V2mrDaKgRpqAzVP/s400/smart-telstra-wca-2015.jpg" title="smart vs telstra" width="400" /></a></div> Smart bagged the coveted prize over Australian company Telstra and Middle Eastern operator Ooredoo in the recent ceremony held in London. Last year, Smart won in the invitation-only category over six other finalists, including Philippines' Globe Telecom and Turkcell (Turkey). The WCA is organized annually by London-based industry publication Total Telecom. In naming Smart Best Mobile Operator, the WCA recognized the company’s ability to “develop its business by moving into new areas or through service innovation.” Powered by its strengthened digital strategy which focuses on new mobile data offers and digital partnerships, Smart posted an all-time high growth for its mobile data and broadband businesses in the first nine months of 2015. Combined revenues reached P15.6 billion, aided by a 139% upsurge in mobile data usage within the network. Smart recently forged partnerships with leading global digital technology companies like Uber and Airbnb, and with entertainment companies like iflix, FOX, MCA Music, and Sony Music. It introduced a slew of digital offers under the “Smart Life” campaign, which gives Filipinos the best of entertainment, convenience, urban comforts, and peace of mind wherever they go. These new partnerships are tied into a more streamlined suite of mobile data offerings, bannered by Smart’s Big Bytes 50 offer that includes 350MB of open-access data, plus 600MB of additional data for iflix, FOX, and SPINNR, valid for three days. Smart has received several international awards this year, including Best Mobile Music App for SPINNR which was given at the Global Mobile Awards in Spain. Smart’s president and chief executive officer Napoleon L. Nazareno was also named Telecom CEO of the Year at the Telecom Asia Awards in Indonesia. Smart remains the undisputed Philippine leader in mobile, with 67 million cellular subscribers under the brands Smart, Sun, and TNT. It has 3.8 million broadband subscribers under the brands Smart Bro and Sun Wireless Broadband.</div>

Smart topples Telstra, wins 'best mobile operator ' award from int’l body

MANILA, Philippines - For the second straight year, the country's wireless services leader Smart Communications (Smart) was named Best ...