PLDT launches LTE/Wi-Fi prepaid home broadband service

PLDT smart prepaid home broadband
Image credit: Smart Communications

PLDT Home has launched a prepaid home broadband service in the form of a Wi-Fi hotspot with backhaul provided by the telco’s wireless arm, Smart Communications.

The ‘PLDT Home Prepaid Wi-Fi’ is a plug and play device that instantly connects to the Internet. It can simultaneously connect up to five WiFi devices, such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

PLDT Home says that unlike regular Wi-Fi (or ‘Mi-Fi’) hotspots meant for users on the go, the Home Prepaid Wi-Fi device is specially designed for home use as the backhaul link utilizes the LTE 700-MHZ band, which easily penetrates houses and buildings. As such, PLDT Home can deliver backhaul connectivity indoors – whether in the living room, kitchen, or bedroom.

In terms of speeds that customers can expect, PLDT Home points out that Smart delivers average download speeds of 17.25 Mbps, and average upload speeds of 7.65 Mbps, according to a recent Ookla speed test. Smart LTE covers major urban areas including Metro Manila, Rizal, Cebu, and Davao, and top sites in Bacolod, Baguio, Baler, Batanes, Bohol, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, Laguna, Leyte, Palawan, Sagada, Sarangani, and Zamboanga, among others.

While the connection service is prepaid, the home Wi-Fi device costs Php1,995, ($37.50) though that includes 10GB of data for free, valid for seven days after activation. PLDT also says that online lending platform Lendr can arrange for customers to pay for the device via installment payments.

Lendr is run by FINTQ, the financial technology arm of Voyager Innovations, which is the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart.

2 Comments

  1. what will i do, i have one pldt home wifi, but it was not use for a long time, and recently i wanted to connect to it, but the wifi cannot be loaded. Please help me.

What do you think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.