TELECOM | Smart tests roaming technology for faster overseas connectivity
Smart and Ericsson said the setup produced faster browsing and streaming and lower latency.
PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. has completed a live pilot of a roaming technology with Ericsson that could improve data speeds and reduce latency for Filipino subscribers traveling abroad.
The pilot tested Ericsson On-Demand’s Roaming Breakout (RBO) service simultaneously in the United States and the Philippines. The technology routes roaming data traffic through a network point closer to the subscriber’s location instead of sending it back to the Philippines.
The tests covered common mobile activities such as video streaming, video calls and internet browsing. Subscriber traffic in the United States was routed through a Google point of presence in Virginia.
Smart and Ericsson said the setup produced faster browsing and streaming and lower latency. Speed tests on two demo smartphones showed download speeds of up to five times faster with local breakout enabled, along with smoother 4K video streaming.
The pilot also tested Messenger video calls between users in the United States and the Philippines, as well as between users in the United States and Sweden. Smart said the smartphone using local breakout provided a smoother call experience than a connection routed through the subscriber’s home network.
Local breakout allows roaming traffic to be processed closer to where a subscriber is located. This can reduce the distance data travels between the user and online services, potentially improving the performance of data-intensive applications.
“As customer expectations evolve, we continue to actively explore technologies that can transform how our subscribers stay connected while traveling abroad. This successful pilot with Ericsson gives us valuable insights into how next-generation roaming capabilities can help deliver a leveled-up experience for Filipinos wherever their journeys may take them,” said Roderick S. Santiago, Head of Network Strategy and Architecture at PLDT and Smart.
“By enabling a better roaming experience, LBO can also help us uphold the network quality and reliability that Smart subscribers have come to expect, not only in the Philippines but even when they are overseas,” he added.
Bipin Melvin, VP and Head of Cloud Software and Services for Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines and the Pacific Islands at Ericsson, said the pilot demonstrated how the company’s software-as-a-service core, built for Google Cloud, could support the creation of core networks in different locations.
“By enabling data traffic to break out closer to where travelers are located, Ericsson On-Demand’s Roaming Breakout service can significantly reduce latency and improve performance,” Melvin said.
The pilot is part of PLDT and Smart’s efforts to explore technologies aimed at improving connectivity for subscribers traveling outside the Philippines.
Full disclosure: All news articles published on the TechSabado website are written by human journalists, unless otherwise specified. Final text editing is also performed by human editors, with artificial intelligence (AI) used only to assist with additional grammar and style guide corrections..
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