Improved mobile data speeds help enhance load sellers’ business

With more and more people turning to their smartphones and mobile internet to communicate and be entertained, e-load retailers now have another revenue stream. Aside from selling primarily call and text services, they now earn additional income, thanks to their customers’ mobile data needs.

May Ladulay, a sari-sari store owner and Smart retailer in Brgy Nangka, Marikina City, has felt the positive impact of her loading business on her income. “Before, I load out only 1500 in a day. Now, because of more data users in my area, sometimes 11,000 per day is not enough.”

Another retailer in Brgy Nangka, Ligaya Fajardo, also confirmed that business is brisk—no matter the hour. “Even late at night, people go to my store to load up their smartphones,” she said, noting that her store is open until past ten in the evening. “The officegoers on their way home from work, the call center agents—they pass by here before going home at night to load up, so that when they get to their houses, they can enjoy using mobile internet.”

“My income of 14,000 a week has increased to 16,000—we can definitely feel the changes,” added Fajardo.

The network upgrades in Metro Manila by PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications (Smart) has not only improved mobile internet speeds, but have also helped businesses improve their bottom-line, especially for retailers in Marikina, where Smart recently boosted speeds on its 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

At the beginning of the year, Smart announced that it was further improving LTE speeds in the country by rolling out LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) in more areas of the country. This includes the deployment of four-component (4CC) carrier aggregation, which features the combination of four separate spectrum bands, in Marikina.

“With our improved network now in place, more and more of our Marikina customers are using our data products to enjoy mobile internet on their smartphones, may it be to update their social media feeds, watch videos on-the-go on Youtube, iFlix, and iWant TV, or play mobile games,” said Alex O. Caeg, SVP and head of Consumer Business for Customer Development. “As our customers’ appetite for data increases, our partner-retailers’ businesses also flourish,” Caeg added.

“This is just a preview of what is to come for more parts of the country, as we roll-out LTE-A to more areas nationwide,” said Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT and Smart Senior Vice President for Network Planning and Engineering. “We are bringing 4CC to Quezon City and other parts of Metro Manila, where LTE-A handsets are already being used.”