PLDT and its wireless arm Smart Communications said on Monday they are testing fixed wireless access (FWA) technology from Radisys as a potential alternative for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), particularly in areas in the Philippines where fibre is difficult to deploy.
PLDT said its Network Strategy and Architecture team has tested Radisys’ point-to-multipoint FWA technology that enables a single base node to connect with specialized remote radio nodes in customer premises.
During the tests, PLDT said it was able to achieve download speeds of 945 Mbps and upload speeds of 929 Mbps. PLDT also tested apps and services such as video streaming, internet browsing, YouTube, Tiktok, Facebook, and Instagram over the FWA connection.
“Fixed wireless access using Radisys technology has already been deployed successfully in large markets like India,” said Radames Zalameda, PLDT’s VP and head of Wireless Network Strategy and Architecture. “We saw a strong opportunity to adopt and tailor this proven solution for the Philippine setting, especially in areas where laying down fibre remains a challenge.”
Lennart Olaivar, AVP and head of PLDT’s Wireless Network Strategy and Transformation Office, added that point-to-multipoint FWA offers a simpler, faster way to deploy high-speed connectivity without the need for extensive civil works especially in hard-to-reach or underserved areas.
