Smart expands internet services, slashes rates

PLDT Inc.’s wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. will slash the prices of its mobile services to support growing demand for internet data from its subscribers.

Smart yesterday said it would expand its offering for mobile broadband to accommodate the increased appetite for internet connectivity and contribute to the revival of the economy.

Smart Senior Vice President and head of consumer wireless business Francis Flores said the firm would relaunch its Smart Rocket WiFi 5G at a lower price to make it accessible to customers.

From the original price of P15,995, Smart Rocket WiFi 5G will be sold at P12,995 to make it the most affordable 5G router in the country. Smart also plans to continue selling its Smart Bro Pocket WiFi LTE Advanced (Cat 6) devices at P1,495.

Smart aims to keep its mobile broadband affordable, especially the Pocket WiFi LTE, to ensure that access to the internet is democratized in the digital age. Smart also maintains an LTE reach of 97 percent of the population, making it possible for users to connect to the network almost anywhere in the archipelago.

“Smart has had a long history of offering these mobile broadband devices to democratize access to the internet, putting it within the reach of more Filipinos,” Flores said.

“With lower prices, widest coverage and ease of use now, we are staying true to our mission of empowering our subscribers to live more today,” he said.

Flores added that Smart plans to bring in the latest technology in terms of mobile services to provide the best product that subscribers can get from the market.

“As more advanced Cat 6 devices become available for LTE, we are also making these devices more accessible to our customers. Compared to older Cat 4 devices in the market, Cat 6 devices will pave the way to even better customer experience, enabling our customers to stay connected and live in the moment in the best way,” Flores said.

Apart from this, Smart enables its Smart Bro customers to avail of sachet-sized data packages for their everyday use. The Pangilinan-led telco offers a 20 GB access to all sites for seven days for P149, as well as unlimited data for 30 days for P699.

Ookla awarded Smart as the Best Mobile Network in the Philippines for all quarters of 2022.

To earn the citation, Smart had to be named Fastest Mobile Network and Best Mobile Coverage for the period.