Ramped-up LTE roll-out
Smart is accelerating its deployment of LTE, LTE-A and carrier aggregation across the country as part of Smart’s efforts to improve mobile data experience nationwide. It is on track toward to fulfill its commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission to cover 90% of the country’s cities and municipalities with mobile data service by the end of this year.
LTE is the best technology to help bring fast, affordable and reliable mobile internet services to as many customers as possible. It is also quickly upgradable to LTE-A, which can provide even greater capacity and speeds to users with capable smartphones.
“On mobile, as shown by the experience of other countries, the network roll-out must be accompanied by the adoption of LTE-Advanced-capable mobile phones and devices,” Tamayo said.
Smart is doubling the number of LTE base stations to about 17,700 nationwide and raising the number of LTE-equipped cell sites to more than 6,800 by the first quarter of 2019, using frequencies that are compatible with CA-capable smartphones available in the market today.
Meanwhile, as of the first quarter of 2018, PLDT has broadened the coverage of its fiber-powered broadband network to 4.4 million homes passed, up from 4.0 million at end-2017. In the same period, PLDT also increased its capacity to 1.4 million lines from about 1.0 million and raised its total fiber footprint to about 187,000 kms.
PLDT’s fiber roll out includes both fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and hybrid fiber technologies that will deliver fiber-speed broadband to virtually all DSL subscribers by 2019.
