MANILA, Philippines — The upcoming launch of the country’s first LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network will likely bolster the use of cloud computing services in the country, an official from one of the country’s telecom firms remarked recently.
Citing the need of cloud services for high-speed Internet connections, Smart Communications’ Broadband Internet and Data Services Head that to fully enjoy the benefits of the cloud, users would “need a high-speed connection like Smart LTE.”
Cloud computing has taken root in most businesses in the past years, but it is only recently that the cloud gained mainstream status among consumers with the launch of cloud storage and syncing services led by technology giants such as Apple and Google.
And with smartphone penetration in the Philippines predicted to surge in the coming months due to the onslaught of low-cost mobile devices, cloud-based services could be seeing a fresh round of uptick from Filipino users.
However, while cloud-based services offer convenience to the increasingly mobile, smartphone- and tablet-toting consumers, experience is still largely dependent on the speed of Internet connection — especially when accessing or uploading large files through the cloud.
“We are creating more data than what can be stored in just a single memory card or hard drive, which is why being able to store and access everything online is such an attractive proposition,” Manaloto said, stressing how the cloud is the “future of mobility.”
This is why high-speed mobile broadband connectivity, such as those offered by LTE networks, will become a necessary companion for the cloud’s growth in the country.
LTE throughputs, Smart claims, can reach speeds of about 100 Mbps, as proven by the telco’s beta-testing of the service several months ago. A 1-gigabyte file, for example, only takes about 15 minutes to be downloaded through the new network.
“With LTE, accessing software and services on the web will be as quick as when you open files or programs stored locally in your computer’s hard drive,” Manaloto said.
“LTE’s low latency also ensures a reliable connection comparable to that of a high-speed wired connection such as DSL,” he added.
Smart is said to be rolling out its commercial LTE offering “soon,” but the company did not disclose an exact date as to when it would be available for consumers, nor advised about pricing details for the service. Sources, however, said the service will be launched this month.
During the beta-test of its LTE network beginning late last year — where InterAksyon was also a participant — Smart allowed beta users to access a host of fired-up LTE networks in various places in Metro Manila, including ones located in Makati, Paranaque, Mandaluyong, and Quezon City.
There has been no word yet about the total number of base stations Smart is currently fitting with LTE connectivity, although Manaloto pointed out that the new network will be backed by over 50,000 kilometers of fiber optic cabling and the latest Single Radio Access Network located across the country
source: interaksyon.com
