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Smart LTE users up 82% in 2019 via network improvements

By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz

November 26, 2019, 2:56 pm

MANILA – Smart Communications (Smart), the wireless communications subsidiary of PLDT, noted an 82 percent increase in its LTE users in the first nine months of 2019 following sustained network improvements and LTE migration campaigns.

In a statement Monday, the telecommunications company said the increase in LTE users was across its Smart, TNT, and Sun networks.

“This means that a growing number of Smart, TNT and Sun subscribers are able to enjoy marked improvements in their data experience given that LTE provides the best customer experience in terms of speed and reduced latency,” Smart said.

The marked increase was made possible through a rise in the company’s 4G/LTE base stations by about 5,500 in 2019, pushing Smart’s total LTE base stations to about 21,700.

Smart said the increase was made possible in part through marketing campaigns which encouraged customers to upgrade to LTE through offers of free data services.

“By encouraging our customers to shift to LTE, we can achieve our goal of providing them the best customer experience,” Smart president and CEO Alfredo Panlilio said.

Aside from the increase in its LTE users, Smart said its mobile service revenues, in the first nine months of the year, increased by 20 percent year-on-year to PHP52.6 billion—with mobile internet revenues growing 47 percent to PHP34.5 billion.

Smart also noted a dramatic increase in its data traffic in 2019—a total of 1.1 exabytes (1106 petabytes), twice as large as the volume recorded in the same period last year.

“Driving the dramatic increase in data traffic is the use of video and e-games, both of which require the support of a good mobile network,” Smart said.

Due to the continued investment in improving its data services in the country, Smart said the share of data and broadband to the total service revenues of its parent company PLDT increased to 66 percent, up from 60 percent last year. (PNA)

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