Smart Communications’ ongoing deployment of its mobile internet service via a combination of low-band and high-band frequencies is starting to pay off, with subscribers in initial deployment areas reporting significant improvement in their mobile data experience, particularly indoors.
Subscribers in Boracay experienced stronger mobile internet connectivity after Smart implemented a quad-band LTE (Long-Term Evolution) setup on the island. This involves the use of the low-band 850 MHz frequency and the high-band 1800, 2100 and 2300 MHz frequencies.
following the network’s accelerated LTE deployment
“I used to get EDGE signal but now I get LTE. My connection remains strong even when I’m inside a building. I’m really happy, especially because I need mobile Internet now more than ever,” said Joyce Mationg, a local.
Low-band frequencies like 700 and 850 MHz have longer range and better indoor penetration. These enable Smart subscribers with compatible phones to have strong and stable Internet connectivity in more areas, even inside buildings. Improving indoor penetration is critical, as international and Smart’s own studies show that bulk of mobile internet users use data services inside buildings.
High-band frequencies, on the other hand, provide additional capacity. These allow the Smart network to support more mobile data users and provide them with more bandwidth.
Accelerated LTE deployment
The use of these frequencies is being further enhanced by Smart’s ongoing deployment of 700 MHz in different areas of the country. Smart recently gained access to the 700 MHz radio frequency previously assigned to San Miguel Corp. (SMC), under the co-use arrangement approved by the National Telecommunications Commission when Smart’s parent company PLDT acquired the SMC telecom business.
Under the same arrangement, Smart also gained access to 2300 MHz frequencies it already deployed in Boracay.
with their Smart LTE experience on the island
Smart is rapidly deploying frequencies specifically for LTE, which is the fastest wireless data service commercially available. These efforts are part of a three-year network rollout plan submitted by PLDT to the NTC. The plan includes Smart’s goal to cover 95 percent of the country’s cities and municipalities with high-speed mobile internet service by the end of 2018.
“We are accelerating our LTE deployment because this will enable us to deliver faster, more reliable, and affordable Internet services throughout the country,” said Joachim Horn, chief technology and information advisor at PLDT and Smart.
Rhaymond Ursal, a tourist in Boracay, and his friends said they were “very happy” with their Smart LTE experience on the island. “We’ve had a lot of uses for our mobile data connection here. Apps download quickly, and there’s no lag when we play Pokemon Go.”
“Signal is good even indoors. Last night, we streamed movies in our room and there was no long buffering,” added Ursal.
Boracay was the site of several technological firsts for Smart as well as the Philippines, including the firing up of LTE in 2012 and the deployment of LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) in April. Smart fired up LTE-A using a capability called carrier aggregation, which involves the combination of two or more frequency bands to deliver bigger bandwidth and faster data speeds to mobile users.
Hard figures back customer testimonials
Smart LTE tests conducted in Boracay in mid-June showed that page loading was fast, consistent, and successful 99 percent of the time. This figure is much higher than the 61 percent success rate recorded in April.
Smart also achieved a 100 percent success rate in loading web pages on the first try. All attempts to stream videos without buffering were successful. Smart LTE’s average download speeds also improved by 50 percent, from 14 Mbps to 21 Mbps.
Meanwhile, an LTE-A speed test conducted in August posted a download speed of 120 Mbps, and an upload speed of 28 Mbps.