Smart Communications Inc. said Wednesday it completed its network expansion in Metro Davao and surrounding municipalities.
“In Metro Davao, the biggest change is the huge improvement in indoor coverage for LTE. This is important because people use mobile internet services mostly indoors—in their homes, offices, restaurants, coffee shops and the like. As a result, Davao is setting the pace for the country’s major urban centers in terms of mobile internet experience and is the best place to enjoy fast mobile internet services,” PLDT and Smart chief technology and information advisor Joachim Horn said.
LTE, a fourth-generation mobile phone technology, is an all-IP (internet protocol) network that delivers a superior data experience to customers, compared to 3G technologies. It is the fastest wireless data service that is commercially available.
Smart’s LTE outdoor coverage now blankets 98 percent of Metro Davao, matching the outdoor coverage of its 3G service. LTE indoor coverage increased six times from 11 percent to 66 percent of the Metro Davao area.
Mario Tamayo, the head of network planning for Smart, said the company was also rolling out the same network improvement program in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu. “This is part of our three-year plan to bring high-speed LTE all over the country,” Tamayo said.