PLDT allots P25 B for mobile network

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) Group is spending P25 billion this year to improve cellular and mobile Internet services.

“Of the P43 billion capital expenditures this year, P25 billion will go to the mobile network,” Joachim Horn, chief technology and information advisor at PLDT and Smart Communications Inc. said yesterday.

Horn said the amount would be spent for the integration of the Smart and Sun networks, improvement of 3G and LTE as well as rollout of LTE-Advanced services.

The group started the network integration program for Smart and Sun last year to improve the coverage and quality of service for the subscribers of both brands using 2G, 3G and LTE capable devices.

“For example, where it makes technical and marketing sense, we equip a single cell site – either of Smart or Sun – so that this can serve the subscribers of both brands,” Horn said.

As a result of the program, depending on the area, the effective coverage for Smart and Sun subscribers increases by anywhere from 50 to 100 percent.

The group expects to complete the network integration of the two mobile brands by the end of this year.

With 90 percent of smartphone owners using 3G, Horn said the company is also investing to improve 3G services this year.

As part of its aim to improve services to subscribers, the telco through Smart is launching the country’s first LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) service which can provide significantly higher data speeds than existing LTE services using a capability called “carrier aggregation.”

Smart’s LTE-A service to be deployed in Boracay, Aklan would allow users of LTE-A capable devices such as Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge to enjoy speeds of up to

260 Mbps, three times faster than what subscribers experience now.

Smart joins other operators such as Optus in Australia, Sprint in the US, and Turkcell in Turkey, that have tested and rolled out the technology also referred to as 4.5G.

The company intends to make LTE-A available in more areas depending on demand and as handset manufacturers launch devices compatible with the service.

“Combined with our other network improvement initiatives for both our mobile and fixed line networks, the introduction of LTEA will help boost Internet services in the country and enable more Filipinos to enjoy and benefit from the fast-growing range of digital services that PLDT and Smart offer,” Horn said.

With the arrival of 5G expected in 2020, he said PLDT is also planning ahead by working with NTT DoCoMo to ensure the company is ready for the new technolog

PLDT had about 65 million cellular subscribers as of end of last year.