TELECOM | Smart makes PH 5G roaming-ready for international tourists

As global travel restrictions ease, PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has expanded its 5G roaming coverage for Philippines-bound tourists through its alliance with 84 roaming partners in 51 countries.

Visitors to the country can experience Smart’s most reliable 5G network with their 5G-capable SIM and 5G-capable device when they avail of the roaming services from their mobile operator when visiting the Philippines for business or vacation.

Since 2021, Smart has been doubling its efforts to serve the 5G roaming needs of inbound and outbound customers in Estonia, Slovakia, The Netherlands, Iceland, Latvia, France, Vietnam, Qatar, Greece, Finland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

“This is part of our commitment to provide the best mobile experience to our global customers when they visit the country, which allows us to help position the Philippines as the preferred destination for business and tourism in the region. Our partnerships with international mobile operators in key markets have allowed us to empower our customers and help them pursue their passions as we usher in the next normal,” said Chet Alviz, Vice President Wireless Core and International Business Group at Smart.

5G-ready Philippines
To support the constant growth of mobile data traffic, Smart increased to 76,600 its total base stations nationwide as of end-March 2022, providing 3G, 4G/LTE and 5G to customers across the country, including around 7,300 5G base stations, all supported by fiber infrastructure of 803,000 kilometers.

The accelerated deployment of LTE, 5G and fiber across the country is part of PLDT and Smart’s broader initiative to deliver world-class experience to customers nationwide.

For its efforts in improving its network, Smart also recently won back-to-back Ookla awards as the Philippines’ Fastest 5G Mobile Network and for delivering the country’s Best Mobile Video Experience across all mobile technologies.

Smart also won the most number of citations in the latest Mobile Experience Awards by Opensignal, underscoring Smart’s superiority as the Philippines’ fastest mobile network with the widest 5G reach and best 4G coverage experience, among other citations.