Smart set to deploy 4G in MM, Cebu, Davao

Manila, Philippines - Smart Communications is accelerating its investments in the latest mobile communications technology known as long-term evolution (LTE), or the so-called fourth generation or 4G technology, as deployment is set in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao soon.

“We are already done with testing. Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao will follow,” Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Smart information technology and network service head Rolando Pena said.

Smart recently chose Boracay as the initial testing location for LTE. “Boracay is proving that it works,” he said.

Pena said LTE can be experienced by users that are located 1.5 kilometers from the base station which costs P5 million to be set up. “But the biggest expense is not on the base stations but on the super highway and the cable systems,” he explained.

LTE, which can operate in the 1.4 Mhz, 3 Mhz, 5 Mhz, 10 Mhz and 20 MHz bandwidths, is a high-performance air interface for cellular mobile technology. It addresses the demand for higher data rates and increased quality of service and enables users to experience the fastest mobile broadband service up to 100 mbps.

Pena said more than 70 percent of Smart’s P31.2-billion, two-year capital budget for network expansion and upgrade will be allocated to mobile broadband technology that supports LTE deployment to other areas.

Of the amount, P8 billion will be allocated for transport, P8.4 billion for access, P6.9 billion for site support, P3.5 billion for core expenses and P4.4 billion for back-up systems.

The capital budget will install more than 1,000 2G sites for extra capacity, 481 WiMax stations, 1,725 3G base stations, and more than 30 LTE sites.

Currently, Smart has 7,265 2G sites and 3,111 3G stations that cover 99 percent of the population and 100 percent of municipalities.

Combined fiber optic networks of Smart and PLDT total 41,142 kilometers as compared to its closest rival whose network length is less than half of the former.

“We are running faster than any other telecom firm despite the fact that we are the leading provider,” he said.