Smart has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Erisson to deploy the Philippines’ first 5G pilot network that’s expected to come in the first half of 2019.
Under the document, the first 5G network from Smart will be first deployed in Luzon because it is where a third of the population of the Philippines work and live. The 3GPP compliant 5G Trial System that Smart will deploy includes Ericsson’s 5G RAN, Core, and Transport solutions. This 5G pilot deployment will allow the telco to explore more industry partner engagements, collaborate with schools, universities as well as further develop understanding and competence in 5G.
“As 5G opens up more opportunities for new services and solutions to offer to our customers, we are investing in future-proofing our network and making sure that our network is ready for 5G,” said PLDT-Smart chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.
“We are happy to partner with Smart to pioneer 5G in the Philippines. We believe first movers in 5G can reshape the market, grow market share, and increase revenue streams. Combining improved capacity and ultra-low latency, 5G help realize new use cases and business models and capture new revenue opportunities by addressing industry digitalization,” said Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, and Pacific Islands.
Under its current upgrades, Smart is installing 5G-compatible radio equipment across its network, which now has more than 2,000 5G-ready sites.
