Smart Communications Targets Triple-Digit 5G Growth In Coming Years

Wireless communications and Digital Services Company, Smart Communications has set its sights on a triple-digit increase of its fifth generation (5G) user base in the next coming years.

The Philippine operator at the moment boasts of Eight hundred thousand 5G subscribers, representing a 200 percent increase of its December 2020 figure. Within the first and second quarters of this year, Smart Communications also reported a 3-fold increase in 5G data traffic bringing to the fore an exciting  year for the brand.

Smart Communications President and CEO, Alfredo S. Panlilio, analyzing the growth said:

“When it comes to 5G, speed and coverage are the most important considerations. This is why since we pioneered the Philippines’ first 5G commercial service last year, our focus has been to lead in both 5G speeds and 5G coverage so as to empower Filipinos with world-class customer experience”.

The company says the rising figure can be traced to the meteoric growth of Smart 5G users, prompting the 200 percent rise from its December 2020 figure.

The ability to deliver the 5G traffic increase in the first and second quarter of this year was a contributing factor to its 39.5 million mobile data users as of the latter part of June 2021, a double -digit increase in mobile data revenues compared to the same period last year.

According to Ookla, Smart Communications is the fastest and most reliable 5G mobile network in the Philippines for Q1 and Q2 with media download and upload speeds that are twice faster than its closest rival.

The company is the only Philippine telco service provider included in Opensignal’s 5G Global Leaders for Video Experience, ranking alongside other 5G leaders like South Korea’s SK Telecom, KT and LG U+, Thailand’s AIS, and other operators from Croatia, Finland, Hong Kong, Germany, Netherlands, Taiwan, and United Kingdom. Smart has to date also deployed over 4,400 5G sites in more than 4,000 locations.

“By having both the fastest and widest 5G network in the country today, Smart is in the best position to drive 5G adoption among Filipinos so that they can experience its game-changing benefits when it comes to productivity, business, and entertainment,” said Panlilio.

By early October, Smart Communications was able to add Philippines to the global countries on the 5G service, after firing up the first batch of its commercial 5G Standalone (SA) sites in Makati City, one of the first 5G SA networks in the world.