Smart cites better mobile internet quality
Smart Communications, the wireless subsidiary of PLDT Inc., noted improvements in the quality of mobile internet in Metro Manila, based on internal tests.
In a statement over the weekend, Smart said recent tests results showed that the average download speed on its LTE service was 21.5 megabits per second in the northern part of Metro Manila covering Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Novaliches, Malabon, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasig, Manila, Makati, Pasay and Marikina.
An average of 14.4 Mbps was reached in the southern portion of the National Capital Region (NCR), including Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Taguig and Parañaque.
“We are halfway through in North NCR, while we are close to completion in South NCR,” Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT and Smart senior vice president for network planning and engineering, said in the statement.
“The time to shift to LTE is now,” Tamayo added.
Smart also highlighted efforts to provide LTE coverage for thousands of Metro Manila commuters on Edsa, and improving mobile data experience in Smart Wifi-powered entertainment and lifestyle hubs called Smart Spots.
It also cited the rollout of carrier-grade Smart Wifi in strategic areas such as airports and transport hubs, universities, hospitals, government offices and the Metro Rail Transit Line 1 and Light Transit Line 1.
“With a backhaul capacity of up to one gigabit per second, Smart Wifi can support up to 3,000 connected users with robust Wifi connectivity,” Smart said.
To support the rise of bandwidth-heavy activities like video streaming and online gaming, Smart has committed to make LTE progressively available to 95 percent of cities and municipalities across the country by the end of 2018.
It is currently re-equipping its cell sites to use low-frequency bands such as 700 megahertz (MHz) and 850 MHz to provide better indoor coverage.
Moreover, it is also deploying high-frequency bands like 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz to ramp up cell site capacity to handle more calls, texts, and increasing mobile data traffic.
