PH goes ‘5G’: Smart fires up LTE-Advanced

 

 

PH goes ‘5G’

Two years after it pioneered the deployment of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or 4G technology in the country, wireless services leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) announced that 5G wireless technology LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), is now running in the Philippines’ largest and strongest network.

Smart switched on LTE-A at the Smart Jump Center in Mandaluyong City recently, setting the next phase of mobile communication technology beyond 4G LTE standards.

LTE-A, also referred to as ‘5G’ by reports on leading global mobile operators AT&T and T-Mobile, delivers data from between 100 megabits per second (mbps) to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps), or ten times faster than 3G services and more than twice as fast as 4G services.

By firing up LTE-A technology on its network, Smart joins only a handful of carriers around the world with an LTE-A network, along with leading mobile operators in South Korea, United States, Singapore, Australia, and Hong Kong.

“Even as our 3G and 4G networks continue to be unrivaled, Smart becomes the first operator to leap into the future and put the Philippines at par with the world’s most advanced countries in terms of mobile communications technology,” said Orlando B. Vea, founder and Chief Wireless Advisor of Smart.

With LTE-A, a 10MB file takes less than a second to download, YouTube videos no longer have to buffer, and video calls are almost lag-free. But beyond speed, LTE-A’s main feature is also its capability to allocate more network resources to users when the need arises. Smart started testing LTE-A across the country in August last year, delivering results of more than 100Mbps in Makati City, in Boracay, and in Davao City during the Kadayawan festival. 

Co-founder and Chief Wireless Advisor of Smart Orlando B. Vea (first from left) during the tests of 5G LTE-A in Smart last year, where speeds reaching 209.66 mbps were recorded.

Internet for all

Ramon Isberto, Public Affairs head for Smart and its parent company the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), said that the recent development is part of the company’s multi-pronged approach in addressing the various needs for internet and data services in the market.

“The PLDT Group’s strategy has always been to create solutions that address the varying needs of all segments of our customers, to bring fixed, wireless and mobile broadband services where they really matter. They may be delivered at different speeds and volumes, using a variety of technologies, and meant to respond to a wide range of needs of the market – but all of it is aimed at bringing the benefits of the internet to every Filipino,” explained Isberto.

This strategy meant deploying a combination of Fiber-to-the-Home, Next Generation Network, Time-Division Duplex LTE, Frequency-Division Duplex LTE and vDSL to bring internet to every Filipino home, and 3G, 4G, and 5G or LTE-A for mobile subscribers, according to Isberto.

“We are able to deliver all these high-bandwidth services and applications on the strength of our transmission backbone network, which is the most extensive and most resilient in the country. Aside from allowing us to commit to speed, our unmatched network resources give us the edge in terms of efficiency and reliability,” added Isberto.

Smart’s nationwide coverage is backed by PLDT’s fiber optic cable connection which has now reached nearly 90,000 kilometers, or more than four times than competition. To further strengthen this domestic fiber optic network (DFON), PLDT also set up third legs in its fiber loops in key areas nationwide, the latest of which is the Bohol DFON project that provided redundant links between the Visayas and Mindanao.

Crumpler's Carrot, Limpet, and Noose

Crumpler is a well known bag brand which features a long line of durable and stylish travel bags, messenger bags, laptop bags and camera bags. These three Crumpler accessories are no exception. Meet the Carrot, Limpet and the Noose, three must have Crumpler accessories this season!

THE CARROT is a small bag good for containing pens, pencils, and your everyday writing, highlighting and office materials. It's basically a pencil case, but you may use it to house your small gadgets like USBs, cellphone, memory cards, etc. It has a brass reinforced eyelet. You may attach it to a key ring or even let it hang loose connected to another Crumpler. Its outer shell and interior lining are both made from water resistant materials, typical of a Crumpler bag, which is good, to give more protection if you are putting in your cellphone. Lastly, it is constructed with a single piece of ultra durable material and reinforced stitching on all stress points, which guarantees its use for a lifetime.


THE LIMPET is a colorful and harwearing luggage tag, which is bright in color and personality. This will certainly make your luggage stand out on the carousel, better to easily spot your things. It's made of super strength webbing, which keeps a vice like grip on your luggage. With an exterior fabric of 150D ripstop polyester, polyutherane backing and polypropylene insert, the Limpet is ready for whatever the luggage handlers can throw at it.


THE NOOSE is a compact, very useful strap for your camera, which is attached to your wrist. It offers unsurpassed security, without cutting off circulation. It's constructed from ultra-strong polypropylene webbing and neoprene for soft molded comfort which fits and adjusts to your wrist. It also has a built in, dome secured memory card pocket, which let you keep a spare memory card at hand for easy access during extended shoots.


As a traveler, these three Crumpler accessories, in my opinion, are very useful to me and my travel needs, that's why I am sharing it with you :)

Crumpler’s Carrot, Limpet, and Noose are available only at Crumpler Bonifacio Highstreet, Crumpler SM Megamall & Crumpler Trinoma.

PLDT launches world's first PLDT TelPad

The Philippine Long Distace Company (PLDT) launched its newest, world’s first, Filipino-made, innovation that will change the face of landline telephones, as we know it. Last night, we were introduced to the PLDT TelPad, which basically is a landline phone, mixed with a 7” touch screen tablet and mainly the features of myDSL and Android 2.2, which means you can browse through the internet, download lots and lots of apps from the Google Android store (Angry Birds, here we come!), play music, and more!




“We are reshaping the future of the landline telephone and we are starting to bring it to the market now. We are proud that the PLDT TelPad was conceptualized and developed here in the Philippines, by Filipinos, using world‐class technology,” exclaimed Napoleon L. Nazareno, PLDT president and chief executive officer.



The PLDT TelPad’s Specifications
• 1GHz Cortex A8 processor
• Android 2.2
• 2GB internal capacity
• SD/USB slots
• HDMI
• 2MP front camera




The TelPad starts at Plan 1849 (1Mbps), Plan 2099 (1.5Mbps), Plan 3095 (2.5Mbps), and Plan 4100 (3.5Mbps). If you already have an existing PLDT myDSL plan, you just have to add P500 on top of your monthly bill to get the PLDT TelPad for free.



If you ask me, one thing that struck me during the presentation of Patrick Tang, PLDT VP for Retail Voice Acquisition, was when he described the PLDT TelPad as “having information right at the tip of your fingers.” He also showed the audience of the TelPad linking government information to the public.

After the launched, I talked to Mr. Tang of the possibility of tying-up with the Department of Tourism regarding Tourism information. I am thrilled, as he was really excited about the idea of helping Philippine tourism. Pilipinas kay Ganda, talaga! Watch out!!! :)



According to Pam, one of the 20 PLDT TelPad models who showed us the new product, she would still bring her cellphone with her. Having the PLDT TelPad will make browsing more accessible to her because it's there while she's on the phone. Also, she's more into the internet features of the new landline.

The uncle of my friend, Matthew Wong, finds it hard to use, especially to the people who aren't tech savvy and to little kids. "It's a good innovation, especially that it's Filipino made, but I think not everyone will be able to adjust to it right away."

I would love to own one and try it out and extensively review it for myself. As for every new gadget there are pros and cons about it. I hope that this innovation will be able to inspire more people to design, create and innovate. We're getting there, slowly, but surely.

See the Official PLDT Telpad Microsite. Here's the Application for Reserving a Telpad Unit. And here's the PLDT Telpad Facebook Fan Page. :)

Some photos courtesy of Yuri of Lost Tsinelas, and here's his take on the PLDT TelPad