Smart Communications, Inc. will expand its 4G LTE coverage this year to 785 municipalities to meet half of its three-year target commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission.
In a press release, Smart said the roll-out plan entails making LTE available to 1,551 cities and municipalities across the country by the end of 2018. For this year, the company will fire up 2,165 sites with LTE in low spectrum bands and 3,568 in high spectrum bands.
Joachim Horn, PLDT-Smart chief technology and information advisor, said they will also continue to invest in 2G and 3G networks.
Smart’s network modernization involves activating its cell sites to operate in the 700 MHz and 850 MHz bands to improve LTE and 3G services, and in high frequency bands such as 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz to increase capacity of cell sites to handle more calls, text, and data traffic.
PLDT will spend P46 billion in capital expenditures this year.
“We are improving customer experience through better network services and by offering progressively more relevant and targeted products and services,” PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said.
InterAksyon.com is the online news platform of TV5, which is also part of the PLDT group.
Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/infotech/smart-to-expand-lte-coverage-to-hundreds-of-municipalities