Internet use rising in Philippines, says Smart

Internet use in the country has been rising since the start of the year, driven by the ever-increasing affordability of smartphones and data usage rates, leading carrier Smart Communications Inc. reported. In a statement over the weekend, Smart said the amount of data transmitted on its mobile broadband network has grown on the back of the six-fold increase in the use of its Smart Bro dongles since February and the continuing rise in the number of smartphones connected to its network. The company said this indicates a shift in the habits of the average Filipino cell phone user. “In just six months we have recorded a tremendous increase in data consumption as evidenced by the spikes in usage,” said Smart chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea. “If there are still doubts on where the industry is headed, this should put an end to all speculation” Blackberry devices continue to account for the majority of smartphones with a 44 percent share. Devices running on Google’s Android operating system have a 27 percent share but growing at an average of 20 percent a month. Meanwhile, Smart Bro enjoyed significant growth as usage increased 576 percent from February to August. Despite this, however, Smart said the maximum speed for the Smart Bro Plug It had been increased while the quality of Internet service had improved. Speed tests conducted by independent engineering Nesic firm showed that Smart Bro bests the competition by as much as 2.29 megabytes per second. Smart’s parent firm Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is currently undergoing a P67-billion expansion of its network as the group prepares for the exponential growth of data and Internet use in the country. The measures include, among others, the installation of additional fiber-optic cables which connect wireless services to base stations, base stations to the core network, and the core network to international gateways. “Like the fiber that we eat, fiber optic cables are good for the health of the PLDT network,” the company said. By the end of 2011, the group plans to have over 56,000 kilometers of fiber cables installed nationwide.