Smart offers LTE services in multiple frequency bands

MANILA, Philippines - Wireless leader Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), a wholly-owned subsidiary of dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), is now offering its fastest fourth generation (4G) wireless technology in multiple frequency bands.

Rolando Peña, PLDT-Smart technology group head, said in a statement that the company is now offering long-term evolution (LTE) services capable of delivering speeds of up to 100Mbps in the 2100Mhz and 1800Mhz bands.

Peña said Smart is the first multi-band service provider of mobile LTE in the country.

“Offering LTE in multiple frequencies will give us and our subscribers greater flexibility. Multi-band LTE means better coverage whether in densely- or sparsely-populated areas and a wider range of compatible devices,” he added.

Smart launched its LTE service last August 25 and is currently running only on 2100Mhz similar to that being used by Japanese telco and LTE pioneer NTT DoCoMo.

He pointed out Smart has a history of offering its mobile services in multi-band configurations running on 900Mhz and 1800MHz bands while the 3G, HSPA, and HSPA+ connections run on both 850MHz and 2100MHz.

“These combinations give our service superior reach, flexibility, and resiliency,” Pena explained.

According to him, the multi-band LTE also allows for the seamless international interoperability of LTE devices that would be offered by Smart in the near future.

Smart LTE is available at Plan 3500 on unlimited until Oct. 25. A 10GB monthly data allowance will take effect after the said date. The package includes a multi-band capable USB dongle which can be used for both Windows and Mac computers.

The LTE service enables users to download HD movies in minutes, stream HD videos with no buffering, and play online games with no lag.

Complementing the commercial launch of Smart LTE is the installation of more than 54,000 kilometers of Fiber Optic Cabling (FOC) that connects Smart’s cellsites to its core network.

The upgraded system to be completed by end-2012 under PLDT’s P67.1 billion “technology refresh” also makes possible Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) fixed broadband services with speeds of up to 100Mbps.

“This combination of LTE and FTTH gives the PLDT group unmatched capabilities to serve the requirements of its customers for mobile and fixed broadband services,” said PLDT and Smart President and CEO Napoleon Nazareno.

PLDT intends to double the number of areas covered by its latest technological breakthrough in broadband service using fiber optic cables. It hopes to make available the PLDT Fibr technology in about 100 subdivisions in the country from the current level of more than 50 subdivisions.