Smart says download speeds up by 70%

Mobile broadband leader Smart Broadband Inc. (Smart Bro) has increased the maximum download speeds of its plug-it products by as much as 70 percent as a result of its continuing network upgrades. Smart Bro Starter Plug-It users can now experience speeds of up to 3.6Mbps from 2.0Mbps while Power Plug-It and Pocket WiFi users can experience speeds of up to 5Mbps (from 3.6Mbps) at no extra cost. Giovanni Bacareza, Smart Broadband Internet and Data Services head, said the increase in download speeds is a result of Smart’s and its parent company Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.’s continuing network upgrades. "Our Starter and Power Plug-Its are now able to reach such speeds thanks to the billions we’ve invested in improving our network," said Bacareza. "Our customers have attested to this improvement and even third-party entities have verified that fact." Bacareza refers to the recent round of speed tests conducted by independent engineering firm NESIC Philippines Inc. which showed that Smart Bro’s connection speeds beat the competition with an average of 0.74Mbps. NESIC’s tests were conducted in 100 sites across the country and were held during various times of the day. PLDT and Smart’s network upgrades are scheduled to continue until 2013. A total of P67.1 billion has been earmarked for the program, which includes the upgrading and installation of network elements such as cell sites, fiber-optic cables, and international gateways. "It’s easy to say that you have the fastest devices and the fastest wireless connection speeds, but if you don’t have a solid infrastructure working in the background, you can’t deliver quality service to your subscribers" said PLDT and Smart Technology Group head Rolando G. Peña.