Smart, Korea’s KT join forces for 5G innovations

MANILA, Philippines — Smart Communications Inc., the wireless arm of PLDT Inc., and Korea’s largest telecommunications company KT Corp. are joining forces to explore and develop consumer 5G use cases for Filipinos.

The two telco leaders have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at pushing 5G innovation in the country.

“Smart has long been at the forefront of innovation in the Philippines.  These innovations have led to widespread social and economic development over the years. In order to build a truly world-class 5G ecosystem with life-changing experiences, we will need to collaborate, learn, and partner with formidable industry leaders, such as KT,” PLDT and Smart head of strategic partnerships Katrina Luna-Abelarde said.

“Timing is crucial in digital transformation in business. We hope that the two companies can grow to always share information regarding various DX projects, including 5G, and promote new business,” KT head of global business unit Justin Moon said.

Smart’s latest partnership with KT further reinforces its position as the country’s premier 5G network.  Smart is the country’s fastest 5G network, based on results of Speedtests taken in the first half.

Third-party analytics firm Ookla has also cited Smart as the most reliable 5G network, after receiving the highest scores in 5G consistency and 5G availability.

At present, Smart operates the widest 5G network in the country with over 4,400 sites nationwide.

The company recently fired up its commercial 5G SA sites in Makati City, powering up one of the first 5G SA networks in the world.

5G SA technology paves the way for a variety of new industry applications that utilize 5G’s full features.

“By having both the fastest and widest 5G network in the country today, Smart is in the best position to drive 5G adoption among Filipinos so that they can experience its game-changing benefits when it comes to productivity,  business, and entertainment,”  PLDT and Smart president and CEO Alfredo Panlilio said.

Smart said its 5G users have now reached around 800,000, a 200 percent increase from the number of 5G users in December 2020.

It has also delivered a three-fold increase in 5G data traffic in the first quarter and second quarter.

“When it comes to 5G, speed and coverage are the most important considerations. This is why since we pioneered the Philippines’ first 5G commercial service last year, our focus has been to lead in both 5G speeds and 5G coverage so as to empower Filipinos with world-class customer experience,” Panlilio said