SMART COMMUNICATIONS, Inc. said the number of customers using Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A)-ready devices to connect to its network has grown this year.
In a statement over the weekend, the wireless subsidiary of PLDT, Inc. said the number of LTE-capable devices on Smart’s network increased 78% year-on-year, where one in every five devices is also an LTE-A-capable device.
For LTE-A-capable devices on its network rose, Smart said the number grew 72% this year from the same period in 2018, which include those that are capable of two-component (2CC) up to five-component (5CC) carrier aggregation.
Smart attributed the increase to new partnerships forged with manufacturers that produce more affordable phones such as Samsung J2 Core, Oppo A37 and Starmobile Play Click.
“Alongside our accelerated network roll-out, we are also partnering with device manufacturers to help our customers access capable devices, in order to take full advantage of the network that we are putting in place,” PLDT-Smart Senior Vice-President for Network Planning and Engineering Mario G. Tamayo said in the statement.
He noted Smart’s network rollout may only be enjoyed by Smart customers if they are using devices that are LTE and LTE-A-ready.
“To fully utilize the network we are rolling out — whether it’s LTE, LTE-A today or 5G in the future — it is important for customers to adopt the devices that can fully tap the network’s capabilities,” Mr. Tamayo said.
Smart is currently expanding its LTE and LTE-A network across the country and has so far installed more than 14,400 base stations that are LTE-ready as of September 2018.
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. — Denise A. Valdez

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