Smart is sole telco finalist at CEO Awards
WIRELESS services leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) was the only telecommunications company to be shortlisted at the 4th Asia CEO Awards, where it was named finalist in three categories.
Smart is in the running for the following awards: KPMG Executive Leadership Team of the Year, Shore Solutions Most Innovative Company, and Technology Company of the Year.
Smart has been aggressively boosting its network and services in recent months. It finished supercharging its network in mid-2012, ahead of schedule, under parent company PLDT’s network transformation program.
The P67.1-billion endeavor involved the installation and upgrading of equipment which enabled Smart to handle increasingly large volumes of voice, SMS, and mobile broadband services.
The transformation program also allowed Smart to offer a wide range of services designed to change the way Filipinos live and communicate.
Smart launched in August 2012 the first commercially available Long Term Evolution (LTE) service in the Philippines, which is also one of the first in Asia.
Smart is also backed by PLDT’s 71,000-kilometer fiber optic cable network, the most extensive and most modern in the country.
The company launched a host of innovative services this year, such as Spinnr powered by Smart Music, a portal that offers music downloads, unlimited music streaming at affordable rates, playlist customization and access, and download discounts. Services can be paid for via prepaid load deductions and additional postpaid bill charges.
This load-as-currency innovation was first used for BayadLoad, the first service in the world that allows people to use airtime load to pay their mandatory contributions for social security, housing, and provident and health insurance.
Winners of the 4th Asia CEO Awards, presented by Aseana City, will be recognized in a ceremony to be held on November 14 at Solaire Resort & Casino in Parañaque City.
The awards program received 180 nominations for the 11 awards it is giving out this year.
The Asia CEO Awards seeks to recognize the most accomplished leadership teams and individuals operating in the country and the region.