PLDT’s Smart extends LTE coverage to 170 cities, municipalities

PLDT mobile unit Smart Communications has expanded its Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile service to 170 cities and municipalities across the Philippines. In a press release, the carrier said that its 4G network is now available not only in Metro Manila, but also in the province of Rizal as well as in parts of northern Luzon, southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. Smart’s LTE service currently provides mobile broadband speeds of up to 42Mbps, and it is foregrounding its exclusive rights to sell the Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3”, one of the world’s most advanced Android-powered so-called ‘phablets’ – a hybrid between a smartphone and tablet. Smart’s 4G rollout is supported by over 71,000km of fibre-optic cables connecting base stations to the core network.