Posted on 18 Jun 2011 at 12:11pm
Wireless operator Smart Communications has fired up the first Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in Metro Manila, marking the first public demonstration of LTE in the National Capital Region.
PLDT independent director Alfred Ty points out the speed of the LTE network
“The future of mobile broadband is LTE, and Smart is leading the way,” said Smart chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea. “We are very happy to bring the fastest 4G technology to the city with the fastest lifestyle.”
Shareholders of Smart’s parent company PLDT were among the first try out the mobile Internet technology using a dongle during the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Makati City.
First introduced in the resort island of Boracay last April, Smart LTE is the only network of its kind in the Philippines. Its groundbreaking connection technology allows it to achieve download speeds of up to 70 megabits per second (mbps), making it faster than mobile 3G and most DSL and cable services.
The low latency connection also makes it ideal for viewing streaming videos and engaging in other media-rich online activities such as gaming and accessing Web-based applications and programs.
LTE is widely recognized by telcos all over the world as an efficient means of making available high-speed Internet. Several companies in various parts of the world have already rolled out their services such as NTT DoCoMo in Japan, Verizon in the USA, TeliaSonera in Europe, and Telstra in Australia.
A study by market research and analysis firm In-Stat revealed that LTE is poised for a 3400-percent growth by 2015. The report stated that in 4 years’ time, LTE would have successfully taken the crown from 3G as the most dominant mobile network technology around the world as 4G hardware and services become more accessible.
According to the report’s author Chris Kissel, “3G will remain the predominant service subscription, also with robust growth, but over the next five years things will trend toward LTE as 4G service availability is ramped up.”
Similarly, 2G will still play a significant part in the industry during the said transition period as it is seen to peak worldwide some time next year.
In a related study by the US General Services Administration (GSA), the number of LTE-enabled devices from various manufacturers has increased 40 percent in the past 3 months.
From 98 devices in March 2011, the tally now stands at 137 with routers and personal hotspots posting the biggest jump with 17 new offerings.
The device count is as follows: modules 27 (up from 22), tablets 8 (up from 7), notebooks / netbooks 7 (up from 6), PC Cards -2 (up from 1), smartphones – 9 (up from 6), routers and personal hotspots – 45 (up from 2
, USB modems/dongles – 39 (up from 2
.
The same report by the US GSA, states that 154 operators from over 60 countries are committed to deploy LTE commercially. It also mentioned, that the Philippines, via Smart, is among the first in Southeast Asia to have a working LTE network.
“This is certainly good news” said PLDT and Smart technology group head Rolando G. Peña . “It shows that Smart is in line with the direction of the industry globally and that we have indeed brought in the most future-proof technology available — one that Filipinos more than deserve.”
“What we are witnessing is only the beginning” added Peña. “In the coming months we shall make the Internet more accessible to all Filipinos as we upgrade our network while at the same time, make it more stable and more reliable.”
Smart rolls out LTE in Metro Manila
Originally Posted by etgo
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