In Brief: Nokia provides Smart with HSDPA

The Philippines' Smart Communications launched Nokia's high-speed downlink packet access, which allows it to provide faster connectivity.

The HSDPA will allow Smart to provide data services that will be four times faster than current third-generation phone speeds -- and cut communications costs as well.

"Our aim is to revolutionize mobile communications by enabling our subscribers to access data-rich multimedia content and application right through their handset," said Rolando Peña, network services division head at Smart Communications. "To accomplish this, our engineers are working round-the-clock to establish the widest 3G network in the country in the shortest possible time."

"Nokia is pleased to have met our rollout challenge with Smart. Deploying HSDPA is just a simple software upgrade to the Nokia supplied WCDMA network. It is for this reason why it was easy for us to make the first HSDPA call in the country which was just a month after 3G network was operational in February," said Markku Nieminen, account director of networks at Nokia.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International