Mobile broadband allows Facebook users to go online in summer hot spots

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications, Inc. has strengthened its coverage in high traffic summer hot spots through an expanded high-speed data service that lets mobile phone users access the Internet and use popular social networking sites even while on vacation.

“At the beaches and airports, people are using their phones and laptops to access Facebook, Friendster and other social networking websites. This is the new big thing for a growing number of cell phone and laptop users. Our new HSPA network makes it easier for them to update their accounts wherever they may be,” said Orlando B. Vea, chief wireless adviser of Smart Communications.

HSPA or high speed packet access offers wireless broadband experience to laptops, desktops, cellular phones, modems, routers, and other mobile devices at faster speeds. Uploading photos, sharing videos, downloading songs and games, become much easier.

Tourists and vacationers will experience HSPA in various summer hot spots such as Puerto Galera, White Beach , El Nido and Coron in northern Palawan, Honda Bay near Puerto Princesa City , Tagaytay, Baguio , Subic, Baler, Boracay, Siargao, Bantayan Island in northern  Cebu among others.

Social networking has been the global consumer phenomenon of 2008. Two-thirds of the world’s Internet population visits a social network or blogging site and the sector now accounts for almost 10 percent of all Internet time. ‘Member Communities’ have overtaken personal email to become the world’s fourth most popular online sector after search, portals and PC software application

“Filipinos are at the cutting edge of this new trend. An international study last year showed that 83 percent of Filipinos who access the Internet are members of a social network — the highest rate in the worldwide survey,” Vea said. “Filipinos are also regarded as the top photo uploaders and web video viewers, while they are second when it comes to reading blogs and uploading videos.”

Bitten by the social networking bug, Filipinos have made the Internet part of their daily rituals, even, or especially while on summer vacation. Sharing their summer experiences real time with their friends, they upload messages, photos and videos to their social networking sites and retrieve messages and updates from their friends and the same time.

In picturesque Boracay, for example, Kerrie Domingo, a 32-year-old nurse, regularly uploads photos in her Facebook (FB) account while chatting with her family using her laptop and her Smart Bro wireless Internet modem.

In Baguio City , Chippi Orlino, an officer in a multinational bank, likewise logs on to his FB account to let his friends know he’s in Baguio, then visits www.clickthecity.com to look for new places or restaurants he could check out with his wife.

“I always make sure I lug around my laptop and my Smart Bro prepaid Plug-it device wherever I go so I could access the Internet and get updates. I also get to upload snapshots of my travels right away,” he said.

“Smart’s HSPA network lets people quickly send photos and videos using their handsets or laptops. This is in line with Smart’s Internet-for-All campaign,” said Smart’s Vea.

Smart’s HSPA network is available to Smart Buddy, Smart Gold and Infinity subscribers. Smart Bro dongle and Plug-it USB modem users will likewise enjoy better speeds as they access the Internet on their PCs and laptops.