Smart has finally and officially launched its 4G wireless technology today at Resorts World Manila! We were invited to cover the event and took loads of pictures of celebrities, cosplayers, gamers, Korean Starcraft experts and well… uhmm.. Jinri Park.
As a special treat to early adopters, first subscribers to Smart LTE will experience zero data cap – no 10GB usual monthly cap – until October 25, 2012. As mentioned by Smart Wireless Consumer Division Head, Noel Lorenzana, “Smart LTE Plan 3500 subscribers are free to use their high speed internet services to their heart’s content.”
Smart LTE Plan 3500 subscribers will receive an LTE USB dongle that can easily be installed on PC/Mac. PLDT and Smart President, CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno, said that this plan and Smart’s rollout of 4G mobile broadband service are synched with the deployment of parent company, PLDT’s Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) fixed broadband services. This means that PLDT internet subscribers will soon have 4G-ish broadband speed at home.
With download speeds of up to 42Mbps, it is technically possible to download a full-length HD movie in a matter of minutes and download your favorite songs on iTunes in seconds! Finally, an internet connectivity solution that would let Filipinos live faster and live more.
Smart has already flipped the LTE-switch at BGC, Makati, Quezon City, Binondo and Alabang. Specially-marked LTE signs will be posted in various establishments around Metro Manila to indicate the availability of the service. In the absence of an LTE single, the USB dongle is able to connect to Smart’s 4G HSPA+, 3G and 2G services.
If you own an iPad 3 Cellular + Wifi (US version, not the UK one), Smart commented that it is not possible to use their LTE service as the latter is only compatible with the 2100Mhz upload band. We are looking forward to see developments on this wildly relevant concern.
Meanwhile, feast your eyes on the pictures we took during the event. If you have any questions and comments, please hit the comments section below.
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Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.
