Wondering when you’ll be able to taste that sweet, sweet nectar of the LTE gods? Don’t worry – as Smart has just confirmed that they their entire mobile phone network will be LTE-ready by the middle of 2012. Billed as the evolution of the mobile network, LTE promises to deliver speeds greater than 100 mbps and beyond. So what exactly does being LTE-ready really mean?
“That means we will be able to activate LTE or HSPA+ services at any of our base stations, depending what the market in that area requires,” said PLDT and Smart Technology Group Head Rolando G. Peña. “This is a major component of the P67.1 billion network modernization of PLDT and Smart which we have accelerated and intend to complete within the year,” he added.
It seems that Smart has fast tracked the development of their LTE offering to cater to the multitude of LTE devices being unveiled and teased by different manufacturers. Almost every smartphone vendor has an LTE-equipped device, and based on the grumblings from different sites, there’s a large chance that Apple’s next iPad will be LTE-ready.
Unfortunately, it is still up in the air when Smart’s LTE service will officially go live for consumers. One thing is for sure though – you won’t have to wait long.