MANILA – Passengers of the Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2) will soon enjoy better data service after Smart Communications Inc. installed LTE (long-term evolution) “microsites” at the rail service.
In a statement on Thursday, Smart said the facilities were installed along the whole LRT-2 line and its 11 stations running from the City of the Manila to Pasig City.
Mario Tamayo, head of technology at PLDT- Smart, said the improvement is part of the company’s efforts to improve the experience of its mobile users “despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.”
"This complements the steady expansion and upgrade of our nationwide LTE network especially in the dense, urban areas, which has been enabling our customers to work and study from home, run their online businesses, follow news and other updates about the pandemic and the vaccine rollout, and stay in touch with loved ones as we keep ourselves socially distanced amid Covid-19," Tamayo said.
The upgrades, he said, were made possible through PLDT’s fiber infrastructure spanning 429,000 kilometers as of the end of 2020.
To date, Smart’s mobile network services 96 percent of the Filipino population, recognized by third-party network analytics firm Ookla as the Philippines’ “fastest mobile network” since 2018.
Earlier, the LRT-2 announced a temporary shortening of its operating hours—6 a.m. to 6 p.m.—beginning April 17 until the end of the month, to address the increasing number of Covid-19 cases at the rail service.
Affected passengers may take buses plying the Antipolo to Cubao route and Cubao to Doroteo Jose route for the duration of the limited operations of the LRT-2. (PNA)
