In a statement, the wireless unit of PLDT, Inc. cited internal tests done in key areas in Metro Cebu that show the average download speeds of Smart’s LTE service in Metro Cebu went up by at least 146% to 19.7 megabits per second (Mbps), and up to 52 Mbps in certain areas like Cordova. On the other hand, upload speeds jumped 134% to 14.3 Mbps.
Smart said download speeds on Smart’s 3G service rose 275% to 6 Mbps, while upload speeds also went up 45% to 1.6 Mbps.
It added LTE speeds exceeding 20 Mbps up to 90 Mbps have also been recorded in both indoor and outdoor areas around Metro Cebu through carrier aggregation, which refers to the capability of LTE-A to combine two or more radio frequency bands in order to deliver bigger bandwidth and much faster data speeds to mobile users.
Smart attributed the improved mobile Internet speeds to the increase in 3G and LTE base stations in Metro Cebu, which are up by 16% and 108%, respectively. This also led to a rise in data volume traffic on 3G and LTE, Smart said, citing network monitoring data.
Network improvement activities in Metro Cebu include re-equipping cell sites to use low-frequency bands such as 700 MHz, 850 MHz, and 900 MHz for its LTE and 3G services.
“We are accelerating the rollout of LTE because it provides an immediate significant boost to the speed, quality and reliability of our service. Moreover, it lays the foundation for the rollout of LTE-A with CA and puts us in a position to further improve Internet service as more handsets capable of CA become available in the market,” PLDT and Smart Chief Technology and Information Advisor Joachim Horn was quoted as saying.
“These are just initial results, and we are already nearing the midpoint of our implementation in Metro Cebu... in upgrading mobile and data services in Metro Cebu, we are helping improve the quality of life in one of the country’s biggest provinces,” Mr. Horn said.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.