Wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. has beefed up its LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network with the deployment of a total of 1,400 new FD-LTE and TD-LTE installations, bringing to more than 3,400 its total LTE sites across the country.
FD-LTE and TD-LTE are two different standards of LTE 4G technology. LTE is defined to support both the paired spectrum for Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and unpaired spectrum for Time Division Duplex (TDD).
According to the Global TD-LTE Initiative, FD-LTE uses a paired spectrum that comes from a migration path of the 3G network, whereas TD-LTE uses an unpaired spectrum that evolved from TD-SCDMA.
The LTE roll-out program, a part of the Smart’s current phase of network deployment, is aimed at meeting the growing demand for high-speed Internet services. The cost of the program is a portion of the CAPEX for the year which amounts to about P32 billion. This includes the beefing up of its mobile network infrastructure by putting up 400 additional mobile LTE sites, majority of which will be installed in Metro Manila.
The company says that with the country’s most advanced and robust mobile network, Smart is able to deliver the best and fastest mobile experience to subscribers as validated by a series of field tests and various customer engagement activities nationwide.
Ookla and Sensorly, two of today’s most popular crowdsourced speed test apps in the market, said that Smart’s mobile network has delivered the fastest download speeds to a wider set of users in the country.
Charles A. Lim, EVP and Head of the Wireless Consumer Division at Smart, said that in sample tests conducted in at least 500 areas nationwide, Smart emerged with the fastest mobile speeds among telcos. This is further validated by speed tests conducted by users in more than 100 areas in the country.
Complementing Smart’s mobile LTE services is the deployment of 1,000 additional TD-LTE installations to support its fixed wireless service to homes. These additional LTE sites will bring high-speed mobile broadband speeds to more cities and municipalities in Bulacan, Cavite, Cebu, Laguna, Pampanga, Rizal, Metro Manila, among many others.
“Our continuing investment to expand capacity, reach, and availability in our network allows us to deliver the best Internet experience to subscribers in both mobile and fixed platforms,” said Smart Technology Group Head Rolando Pena. “We are also deploying new technologies such as LTE Advanced (LTE-A) to be able to respond to the expected demand in mobile data for years to come.”
Smart has recently activated its second next-generation LTE-A network, also referred to as”5G” in some overseas markets, in Mactan Island, Cebu, where it consistently recorded speeds of more than 100 Mbps using the next-generation mobile network technology. The company’s first LTE-A site went live in Mandaluyong City in August.
“Our strategy is to roll out a combination of network platforms meant to address the different needs and requirements of subscribers in different areas,” Pena said. Our mix of TD-LTE, HSPA+, and mobile LTE deployments respond to varying needs of the market, with the common goal of bringing the Internet closer to every Filipinos.”
“The Philippines is fast adopting LTE. We are signaling the market that LTE-A platform is available. It has already been rolled out,” Ramon R. Isberto, Public Affairs Group Head at Smart, said.
Pena said that the network is ready and they are opening more areas in the next few weeks.
Pena mentioned that Smart is also bringing high-speed Internet access to homes through Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) and DSL. “To date, FTTH is now available in 1,463 areas/villages in 121 cities and municipalities. By yearend, it is expected to be available in 1,725 areas/villages with a total capacity of 300,000 lines.”
Smart is able to deploy a mix of fixed and wireless technologies as PLDT Group rolled out more than 90,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cables around the country. It has also modernized its mobile network to make more than 10,000 sites 4G-enabled, providing it the capacity to quickly roll out LTE services via a simple software update.
