Smart rolls out advanced LTE service
MANILA, Philippines – Smart Communications has rolled out its LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) service providing higher data speeds in the country using a capability called carrier aggregation.
The LTE-A service posted speeds of up to 260 Mbps when it was initially deployed in Boracay, Aklan.
Some operators across the globe like Optus (Australia), Sprint (US) and Turkcell (Turkey) have also tested the same technology, also referred to as 4.5G.
Smart ran several tests of in 2013 in different parts of the country.
The telco said that it is planning ahead in anticipation of the upcoming advances in technology in the coming years, sharing their investments in network facilities.
"Our current investments in network facilities are already being done in a way that will enable us to be ready for 5G when it arrives sometime in 2020. For this purpose, we are working closely with NTT DoCoMo, which is one of the global pace-setters in the development of 5G,” said Joachim Horn, PLDT and Smart chief technology and information advisor.
A much wider highway
Carrier aggregation refers to the ability of LTE-A to combine two or more radio frequency bands in order to deliver bigger bandwidth and faster data speeds to mobile users.
“This is like being able to put together two or more separate highways in order to create a wider highway through which vehicular traffic can flow more freely and at a much faster rate,” Horn explained.
For Smart subscribers using LTE-A-capable devices, this translates into improved data usage experience, especially with bandwidth-heavy services like media streaming and gaming.
Currently, the LTE-A-capable devices include Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. Other handset manufacturers are expected to introduce their own LTE-A devices soon.
A broader effort
Horn explained that LTE-A is the “cutting edge” of a broader effort to improve the cellular and mobile Internet services of Smart and Sun Cellular subscribers.
In a network integration program started last year, for example, Smart and Sun have been synergizing their networks to improve the coverage and quality of service for the subscribers of both brands using 2G, 3G and LTE capable devices.
As a result of this program, depending on the area, the effective coverage for Smart and Sun subscribers increases by anywhere from 50 to 100 percent. The program is expected to be completed by end-2016 or early 2017. This was part of PLDT’s P43-billion capital expenditure program (capex) in 2015 and will be funded by the 2016 capex budget which has been set at the same level.
In this program, specific attention is being given to enhancing 3G/HSPA/HSPA+ coverage and capacity because about 90 percent of Smart and Sun subscribers who go online use 3G handsets. And the number of those who use LTE phones is “steadily rising” according to Horn.
“And now, we have also begun to deploy LTE-A. The pace of this deployment will be driven by several factors, including the rate at which subscribers start using LTE-A capable devices,” he added.
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