Smart expands 4G network nationwide

Wireless services leader Smart Communications Inc. is expanding  its fourth-generation long-term evolution network which already has over 1,000 sites, covering 180 cities and municipalities, including  Metro Manila, as well as areas in North Luzon, South Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

LTE is currently the fastest commercially available 4G wireless broadband service.  Smart introduced LTE in the Philippines in August 2012 and has since been rolling out the service in more areas of the country.

“Our 4G LTE rollout is the cutting edge of our wireless broadband offerings. This technology platform offers our subscribers the best high-speed, multi-media mobile Internet experience,” said Rolando Peña, head of technology services at PLDT and Smart.

“If we count as well our HSPA+ and Wi-Max services, Smart offers the most extensive wireless broadband coverage for both fixed and mobile applications.  All of these services are powered by superior fiber optic transmission network of PLDT and Smart, which is the most powerful and pervasive in the country,” Peña said.

Smart is the only operator to provide 4G LTE coverage for mobile users in Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasay, Pateros and Valenzuela.

Smart is also the only network to offer 4G LTE services in key areas in Albay, Bataan, Batangas, Benguet, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Mindoro Oriental, Pangasinan, Quezon and Zambales.

Moreover, Smart is the sole 4G LTE provider in Capiz, Iloilo, Leyte and Negros Oriental in the Visayas, and Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga del Sur in Mindanao.

Smart said it was the first to conduct tests of LTE Advanced, the next stage of development of LTE. In the past three months, the mobile operator   already tested LTE Advanced in Manila, Davao City and Boracay, Aklan.

“LTE Advanced is capable of delivering data speeds of from 200 to 700 mega bytes per second. This will open up new possibilities for mobile Internet service, especially in multi-media and video applications,” Peña said.

Smart’s expanded  4G LTE coverage is supported by the domestic fiber optic cable network of PLDT and Smart which is now over 71,000 kilometers long, as well as PLDT’s extensive international cable networks.

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. : PLDT HOME dominates broadband market: myDSL AT # 1 AND myBRO AT # 2

Manila, Philippines - PLDT HOME continues to lead the local home broadband market with a dominant 70percent market share as subscribers reached over 1.3 million at endJune 2013, outpacing its rival in the same period. This dominance shows the growing market reach and higher customer satisfaction for the leading telecommunications company in the country.

PLDT HOME said it is poised to keep its dominant position in the broadband market with a majority of customers signing up and switching to the various PLDT HOME broadband services. Latest data show PLDT's myDSL wired broadband captured the most number of subscribers at almost 900,000 while its fixed wireless solution myBro cornered over 450,000 subscribers. This positions myDSL and myBro in the out of 10 new subscribers choose PLDT HOME giving it a three-fold advantage against its competitor which remains at a far third.

"We are proud to announce that PLDT HOME continues to dominate the broadband arena with its top-class communication solutions that deliver the best, reliable service. The numbers prove that PLDT HOME is the broadband consumers choose and trust," said Ariel Fermin, EVP and head of PLDT HOME business.

Ultra-fast Fibr broadband for richer multimedia content

To sustain market dominance in the broadband arena, the telecom giant is expanding reach and coverage of its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) connectivity with Fibr, the country's most powerful broadband today. It is now available in over 700 subdivisions all over the country, allowing subscribers to enjoy high-speed Internet applications not available previously.

Apart from the aggressive network expansion, PLDT also continues to add more multimedia content and applications to its Fibr service. It recently placed Cignal Digital TV cable on Fibr, directly to the home.

"Fibr is a vital pillar of the connected home," adds Fermin. "It is the most powerful broadband as it not only delivers powerful, dedicated connection to the home but also allows subscribers to watch movies-on- demand with Clickplay and watch Cignal Digital TV simultaneously. It allows our subscribers to stream High Definition (HD) content, play lag-free online gaming, and adopt seamless cloud computing."

Online game enthusiasts can also download popular video games on Fibr's partner site, EA Games, while music lovers are provided with an option to buy original music by international artists via SMART Music.

"All these offers are a testament to our commitment to provide Filipino families with broadband services tailor-fit to their needs. Our subscribers can expect more product enhancements as we continue to bring the strongest connections at home," Fermin said.


Most awarded, trusted broadband service provider by consumers

PLDT HOME's myDSL received the Platinum Award for the Most Trusted Internet Service Provider as voted by consumers in the Reader's Digest Trusted Brands Awards. The Platinum Award is reserved for brands with scores three times more than its nearest competitor with myDSL receiving this award for the fifth time in a row this year.

PLDT was also awarded Broadband Service Provider of the Year in the prestigious Frost and Sullivan Philippines Excellence Awards for rising above competition and demonstrating outstanding market performance.

In the recent Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the most esteemed competition in creative communications, PLDT HOME showed its strong suit in marketing ingenuity as myDSL's Screen-Age Love Story emerged as the most awarded Philippine campaign.

The campaign best known as Anna Banana won Gold for Best Integrated Content Campaign and another Gold for Best Use or Integration of Digital or Social Media, Silver for Best Use of Social Media and Bronze for Commercial Public Services.

Worldwide broadband CPE revenue hits USD 2.7 bln in Q2

Worldwide broadband customer premises equipment (CPE) revenue reached USD 2.7 billion in Q2, up 8 percent from the previous quarter and up 29 percent from a year ago, according to a study by Infonetics Research. The study indicates intelligent, video-compliant gateways are becoming popular as connected home and multi-screen services continue to grow. Huawei maintains its lead revenue share lead and is also a major early provider of fixed LTE CPE. A number of fixed LTE gateways were shipped in the Middle East, Africa, the Philippines, and other areas of Southeast Asia in the second quarter. Global FTTH CPE sales grew 7 percent between the first and second quarters. In the cable space, Docsis 3.0 shipments now clearly outweigh Docsis 2.0.