Smart introduces world’sfastest mobile broadband technology

Cellular leader Smart
Communications has introduced
to the country what company
officials describe as the world’s
fastest mobile broadband
technology.
Called Long Term Evolution (LTE)
, this is the latest stage in the
development of mobile
broadband technology and is
popularly referred to as the
fourth-generation 4G mobile
phone technology.
“LTE promises to raise the quality
of mobile broadband services
several notches higher compared
to earlier technologies,” said
Smart’s chief wireless adviser
Orlando B. Vea. “This will us
help deliver our commitment to
bring the Internet– indeed
super-fast Internet – to more
and more Filipinos.”
In Smart’s network, LTE is
currently delivering download
and upload speeds of up to 50
mbps. In the future, data speeds
will be raised up to 100 mbps.
With LTE, users can download
entire movies in minutes, songs
in seconds and can view high-
definition video seamlessly.
Initially, Smart’s LTE service has
been made available in the
world-famous island resort of
Boracay this Holy Week and will
soon be rolled out to other
areas. LTE data services can
currently be accessed using USB
dongles attached to laptops or
networks, or, via LTE-powered
wireless routers providing WiFi
coverage.
LTE belongs to the GSM family of
mobile phone technologies that
are being used by all three
cellular operators in the country.
GSM offers various wireless data
services with progressively rising
data speeds and capacities.
These are GPRS, EDGE, 3G, HSPA
and HSPA+. LTE is the latest and
most advanced technology
platform.
The main advantages of LTE are
high throughput, low latency, an
improved end-user experience
and a simple architecture
resulting in low operating costs.
LTE is also backward-compatible
with existing GSM, 3G and HSPA
networks. This enables mobile
operators deploying LTE to
provide a seamless service across
their LTE and previously
deployed networks.
With mobile data traffic growing
rapidly, operators are
accelerating their deployment of
LTE, with some foregoing or
reducing their use of HSPA and
HSPA+ and proceeding directly
to LTE.
“The PLDT Group is committed
to extending broadband
coverage to 95% of the Philippine
population in the next three
years,” Vea said. “LTE will help
us accomplish that goal faster
and more effectively.”
According to a recent report
from the Global Mobile Suppliers
Association (GSA), there were 17
commercial LTE deployments
around the world as of
end-2010. These included several
in Norway, Sweden, Finland,
Poland, Germany, Uzbekistan,
Estonia and the United States
where Verizon Wireless and
Metro PCS Communications have
gone commercial with LTE.
In Asia, LTE has been deployed
in Hong Kong and Japan, where
NTT DoCoMo, a shareholder of
Smart’s parent company PLDT,
has fired up its 4G network.
The GSA says 180 operators in 70
countries are testing LTE, noting
128 firm commitments to deploy
commercial services across 52
countries, and another 52
planned pilots in an 18 countries.
About 64 LTE networks should
be in service by the end of 2012.
For additional information,
please contact:
RAMON R. ISBERTO
Head, Public Affairs Group
Tel: +632 5113101
Fax: +632 5113100
Email:publicaffairs@
smart.com.ph