Smart launches 1st broadband device in RP

MANILA, Philippines - Leading wireless services provider Smart Communications, through its subsidiary Smart Broadband (SBI), launched yesterday the country’s first broadband device built to enable multiple computers in a common area, such as a house, to have affordable and simultaneous but wireless, high-speed Internet access.

“Desktop computers and laptops have become more affordable, and more families are now able to purchase them for use at home. Smart Bro Share It will allow them to fully and efficiently maximize the use of these computing devices,” Danilo Mojica, head of Smart’s wireless consumer division, said.

Smart Bro Share It allows up to five computers, each given the option to be secured by the main user, to connect simultaneously to Smart’s nationwide HSPA network. HSPA is the latest evolution of the GSM technology, and is likened to having the high-speed, cable broadband experience delivered right to a mobile device.

Smart Bro Share It is available with a Plan 999 monthly subscription, which comes with up to 90 hours of Internet access, at speeds of up to two mbps in key cities in the country. Usage in excess of 90 hours will be charged 35 centavos for every minute.

Initial cash-out for the 12-month subscription is P3,499, which includes the one-time payment of P2,500 for the device, plus the first month’s fee of P999. The monthly subscription fee is P999.

Officials said the installation of Smart Bro Share It is quick and painless, and instructions are available in every kit. Application for a subscription is likewise hassle-free, and interested individuals just need to present a valid ID with a current address at any Smart Wireless Center nationwide, they said.

“By increasing the broadband options available to our subscribers, and giving them the freedom and flexibility to access the Internet the way they want it, wherever they are, we hope to eventually position mobile broadband as the gold standard in connectivity,” Mojica said.