Tourists and residents of Palawan can now stay connected while on business or vacation as PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) rolls out Long Term Evolution (LTE) across the province.

This year, Smart plans to increase the number of LTE sites in Palawan, starting with its capital Puerto Princesa, where initial internal tests in areas including the Puerto Princesa airport and Honda Bay showed LTE download speeds of between 12 and 60 Mbps.

“With our ramped-up rollout across Palawan, travelers from all over can now enjoy world-class connectivity in one of the country’s premier tourist destinations,” said Mario Tamayo, senior vice president for Network Planning and Engineering for PLDT and Smart.

Aside from sharing videos on social media, Smart, Sun, and TNT prepaid customers can also experience up to one hour of free access to YouTube every day until July 15, by availing themselves of GigaSurf99, AllOutSurf99, GigaSurf 50, AllOutSurf 30, Panalo Data 30, Panalo Combo 30, Super Combo 20, and Big Time Data 70 promos. This offer is also available to Smart and Sun postpaid customers, while Sun Fixed Load Plans users simply have to register to select load buckets to avail themselves of the daily treat.

Level Up To LTE during Baragatan

Customers are encouraged to upgrade to an LTE-capable smartphone and an LTE SIM for the full LTE experience.

Smart Prepaid and Smart Postpaid customers can check if their SIM is LTE-ready by texting SIMCHECK to 5832 for free.

Smart, TNT and Sun customers can also upgrade to an LTE SIM without changing their existing number through an LTE-Ready Self-Service Upgrade SIM, which is available for P10 at Smart loading partners nationwide, with free 1GB data valid for three days upon upgrading.

Starting June 15, customers in Puerto Princesa can visit the Smart sales booths during the Baragatan celebrations to upgrade their SIMs for free and avail themselves of discounted LTE smartphones and learn more about Smart LTE.

Ramped-up rollout

Driven by increased data use among customers in Puerto Princesa, now that the upgraded network is now in place in the city, Palawan has also posted month-on-month growth in sales over the last six months.

Puerto Princesa is just one of many high-traffic areas where Smart has already deployed LTE. Recently, Smart also fired up LTE in the Philippines’ northernmost province of Batanes, bringing better mobile data experience to tourists and residents traveling through the picturesque islands.

It also launched LTE in tourist-popular Sagada in Mountain Province in April, when Sagada elders and PLDT and Smart officials joined forces to inaugurate Smart’s cell site in the town. Since the launch, tourists hiking through Sagada’s popular sights, such as Marlboro Country, Blue Soil Hills, and Hanging Coffins, can upload their photos, update their social media, and keep in touch with family via messaging apps in real time.

Smart also launched LTE-A in Sarangani Province in time for the SarBay Festival recently.

Media Release