Currently deployed by operators in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and various South American countries, LTE Advanced connectivity allows users to download data at speeds twice as fast as 4G networks and 10 times faster than 3G services.
“LTE Advanced is the next step forward for mobile broadband, and we look forward to many new possible applications of this ultra-fast technology that will benefit Filipinos and keep the Philippines abreast with the most technologically advanced countries in the world,” said Smart co-founder and chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea.
Smart recently conducted tests of LTE Advanced in cooperation with network equipment provider Huawei. The test facilities were able to achieve break-neck speeds of up to 209 mbps, over twice the 100 mbps top speed of LTE.
“These tests demonstrate the readiness of the Smart network infrastructure to meet the demands of technologies that go beyond LTE,” said PLDT and Smart Technology group head Rolando G. Peña.
In the test setup, LTE Advanced was also deployed over WiFi, enabling devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops to experience extremely high speeds by logging on to the local wireless network.
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“Just as we have seen how quickly Filipinos took to LTE after getting a taste of its high speeds and lag-free mobile broadband, so do we foresee the rapid acceptance of LTE Advanced, once all the right elements are in place,” added Vea.
The widespread adoption of LTE Advanced is expected to help bring down the cost of network equipment and customer terminals significantly.
“The good news is we have transformed our network in the past two years. LTE Advanced will work hand-in-glove with our extensive and robust fiber-powered network which, as we speak, we continue to expand and strengthen,” Peña added.
With over 71,000 kilometers of total fiber footprint, inclusive of 7,200 kilometers of international submarine fiber, and over 4,000 kilometers of domestic submarine fiber, Smart, together with parent company PLDT, boasts of the Philippines’ most extensive fiber network.
Unlike traditional copper wires which use electricity to transmit data, fiber uses pulses of light allowing for quick and lossless uploads and downloads.
“By combining high-speed wireless access technologies like LTE Advanced with PLDT and Smart’s extensive fiber optic network, we can provide customers with an unmatched broadband experience well into the future,” Vea said.
