Faster internet service available to high-end phones

PLDT Inc. said its wireless unit Smart Communications had been rolling out faster mobile internet services for high-end phones in line with a broader network upgrade.

In a statement, PLDT said it had started to activate its five-component carrier (5CC) aggregation in Marikina City, boosting the speed achieved by LTE-Advanced (LTE-A)-capable devices to over 500 megabits per second.

Carrier aggregation is a feature of LTE-A. It allows handsets to combine multiple frequencies, resulting in larger bandwidth and, consequently, a better mobile internet experience.

PLDT said it had tested the service using a Samsung Galaxy S9 in densely populated areas in Marikina City.

“Our LTE-A deployment proves that we have a network that’s capable of providing unprecedented data speeds and world-class internet quality, and has enough capacity to efficiently meet the rapidly rising mobile data traffic,” Mario G. Tamayo, senior vice president for network planning and engineering at PLDT and Smart, said in a statement.

LTE-A is considered the fastest, commercially available wireless technology for mobile data in the country.

In most Android smartphones, it appears as “4G+” in the part of the screen indicating the available signal, while iOS devices display it simply as LTE. Smart became the first operator to commercially deploy LTE-A in the Philippines when it fired up the service in Boracay in April 2016.

PLDT said it had rolled out two component carrier (2CC) 3CC, and 4CC in cities across Metro Manila, and in “major cities in other regions of the country.”

“In its 5CC deployment in Marikina City, Smart has taken five bands and bound them together, providing extremely high LTE-A mobile data speeds to users with capable devices,” PLDT said.

“Along with our commitment to roll out LTE-A nationwide, more LTE-A capable devices in the hands of more users is the other half of the key that will lift the mobile data speeds in the country, and put the Philippines at par with the likes of Singapore and South Korea,” Tamayo said.