PLDT, Smart to Set Clark, Pampanga as the First 5G City in the PH
Residents from Clark, Pampanga will be the first ones to enjoy the promised faster internet service in the Philippines through the deployment of the 5G network, spearheaded by PLDT, Smart Communication Inc., Clark Development Corp. (CDC), and Ericsson.
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IMAGE PLDT.com
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed last August, the initial 5G cell towers will be expected to be established around the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) starting this month of November.
“We are glad that Clark was chosen to serve as the location for the very first 5G wireless platform in the Philippines. This, we believe, will not only be of benefit to Clark locators but also the many industries, various businesses and communities in the country as well,” CDC President and CEO Noel Manankil said in a statement.
The MoU also indicated that the 5G network will be spread out to Luzon areas in 2019. In the same program, Smart has already installed more than 2000 5G network equipment.
Currently, there are around 221,000 kilometers of fiber network present from PLDT and Smart in the country, which will make it easier for them to deploy its 5G service.
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IMAGE Smart.com.ph
“We are happy to be working with CDC in building the city of the future, equipped with smart services and powered by 5G infrastructure, right here in Pampanga. This will benefit not only Clark but the country as well by demonstrating that we are in step with the rest of the world in adopting advanced intelligent technologies,” PLDT and Smart Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said in a statement.
Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT-Smart Senior Vice President for Network Planning and Engineering, said that the LTE spread out requires overhauling of the old network to fiber cables in the Philippines. The company is already working to improve on the Core and Transport elements in the country while deploying the 5G network.
Further, 5G is said to dish out high speed service with low latency. The companies also said that the 5G network would open up the Internet of Things (IoT) application, which will be efficient for the various industries in the Philippines.
Up to date, PLDT and Smart, in partnership with Huawei, have opened its 5G network site at the PLDT headquarters in Makati City.
Sources: Smart.com.ph , PLDT.com
Featured image courtesy of smart.com.ph.
