Smart launches faster data connection

MANILA, Philippines – These days, more and more Filipinos rely on the Internet for entertainment purposes. Filipinos are able to catch up on their favorite TV shows and movies through the Net. Celebrities, on the other hand, like to update fans of their activities through social media, posting photos and videos.

Video and audio streaming, as well as gaming and live chatting, are better enjoyed when one has fast data connection. The demand to post, view and share bandwidth-heavy content is continuously increasing.

So, in a bid to provide faster data connection, PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications introduced the LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) service at the island of Boracay last April 13.

Asked what is the significance of faster data connection to the average Filipino, Ramon Isberto, Smart and PLDT’s head of public affairs, told The STAR during the launch event that the Internet experience becomes more vivid. Like when one makes a video call, “Hindi lang yung parang kelangan mo pang i-imagine kasi makikita mo, you can also hear the voice, both live and recorded,” said Isberto.

Moreover, Isberto said that faster Internet connection strengthens the communication between family members, which is an integral part of the Filipino culture. “There is that need to communicate. That used to be done before through texting and calling, ngayon nagkaroon ng bagong channel. It’s a much more media-rich channel, photographs, pwede kayong mag-video-call,” Isberto explained.

Additionally, OFWs can definitely benefit from the LTE-A service. “The sense of distance is mitigated,” he said. “Dati makikita mo lang yung anak mo once in 12 to 18 months, ngayon bubuksan mo lang ang Facebook, makikita mo na sila.”

Also, faster data connection provides more high-definition videos and calls, where consumers capture even the slightest gestures of a loved one.

Filipino humor becomes more evident as data connection improves. Isberto cited Filipinos’ knack for creating humor even in mundane situations, thus giving birth to funny memes and videos that are actively shared in different social media platforms.

Isberto also recognized that faster data connection improves the way stars and fans interact with each other. This is more apparent with the rise in Snapchat, YouTube channels and livestreaming that celebrities use to connect and interact with their followers.

The new LTE-A service has the capability of “carrier aggregation,” which combines two or more radio frequency bands in order to deliver bigger bandwidth and faster data speeds. In Boracay, LTE-A service has posted speeds of up to 260 mbps. This is the same technology used by other operators around the world like Optus in Australia, Sprint in the US and Turkcell in Turkey, among others.

“This is just to spearhead what we are doing. This shows everybody where Internet is going. At the same time, we are boasting speed on the conventional LTE and on 3G significantly,” said Joachim Horn, PLDT and Smart chief technology and information advisor.

“It’s three to four times faster,” described Horn of the LTE-A speed capability.

Attendees of the launch event were able to experience the said technology when the guests tested cellphones and virtual gear gadgets connected to the LTE-A service.

Currently, Smart has already ran several tests of the LTE-A service in Makati, Boracay and Davao, with other key cities to immediately follow. At the moment, the said service is limited to certain devices like the Samsung Galaxy S7, the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy Note Edge, as well as the Apple Iphone 6s and 6s plus.

Nevertheless, Horn said that Smart hopes to reach all customers, whether they have a 2G, 3G or 4G device. “We are working very closely with Samsung. We try to also work with other vendors to make it available also in the lower-price categories,” he said.

“It starts with the expensive devices but in one year or two years, say, everybody should understand, we will develop much higher speed,” he added.

Horn said that the new LTE service is just the “tip of the iceberg of our big program to bring better customer experience, in particular, Internet connection to all our customers. And in 2020, it will be much, much faster.”