When I stayed in England for three months, I can say that I was pampered with fast internet connection. It is the main reason why my homesickness was cured. Most of my Filipino friends were able to watch their favorite teleseryes online and they usually have this habit of  doing live video streamings or webcam sessions with relatives and loved ones. I can also upload photos and videos in just a snap no matter how large my files are.
My Dream Workstation - Uploading and Downloading files while relaxing in Boracay (Photo by Nina Fuentes)
Last Saturday, I was invited to participate at the SMART LTE Testing in Boracay together with bloggers Fritz, Nina and Winston. I am a subscriber of Smart for more than five years and being one of the first one to try this new fourth-generation (4G) network. Some blogger friends of mine were able to attend in the first and second leg of the SMART LTE testing and all of them were claiming that it is the fastest internet connection they ever experienced in the Philippines. Hmmm… time for me to test and see. Before the trip, I already envisioned a great day – Doing my online tasks with a more reliable internet connection and speed as I enjoy the fantastic view of Boracay. 🙂
Welcome Lunch at Astoria Boracay
And the trip didn’t fail me! Right after we ate our lunch, we were being introduced to Mr. Alex Siao (Network Manager) and Ms. Anne Binuya (Brand Manager) Â and they discussed what SMART LTE is.
Winston, Fritz, Nina and Me at the SMART LTE Testing in Boracay
LTE is the acronym for Long Term Evolution. It is the latest 4G technology which brings blazing fast connection download speeds (70Mbps as shown in earlier Boracay Smart LTE Testings). It is 35x faster than the current 3G standard. It is 100% future-proof as it is designed from the ground up to handle massive amounts of data.
Just look at how happy i am watching videos =))
As someone who loves to download and upload pictures and photos, the LTE will surely make me a happy internet user. Woot!
During our stay in Boracay, the team lent us some SMART LTE USB Dongles that we can bring on our room. Guess who enjoyed watching YouTube and Vimeo videos on HD? Someone called almost all of her Skype contacts based abroad at midnight just to take advantage of the fast connection 😛
Trying the Banana-Avocado Shake from Jonah's
Pinoy Travel Bloggers' chillax mode (Photo by Nina Fuentes)
Right after the initial testing, the bloggers were able to get some fruitshakes and just enjoy the beautiful beach of Boracay. Smart even prepared a Paraw Sailing at Sunset activity for us, which i find sweet teehee 😛
Smooth Sailing in Boracay with Smart
We were just there lying down as our boat sails with the waves and the wind.. Talking and laughing as we treasure this fast yet memorable moment quite similar to testing that Smart LTE Technology 😛
Since we’re in Boracay, we decided to do a night swimming at the beach and it is everyone’s first time to do so. Overnight lang, pero sobrang saya 🙂 (I will write a separate about this :P)
Dinner/Wifi Testing at Epic Bar
We had late dinner at Epic Bar. This time, we tried the SMART LTE Wifi Router. We were chatting with friends and uploading some files as we wait for our food. Ang bilis pa rin!
Updating our social networking sites while waiting for our dinner
I didn’t get enough decent sleep prior to the trip and I felt really tired after our dinner. The fact that the Smart LTE Dongle is with me that night made me stay awake all night LOL. Like i mentioned earlier, I talked to some friends via Skype and even greeted one a happy birthday. I also took the opportunity to talk to my family with no disconnections this time. Don’t you just love that?
Smart LTE Dongle =)
My Two Cents: I am not a techie person, but this new innovation coming from Smart LTE excites me and I know that most people who depend on the internet for their work share the same sentiments too. The Boracay leg is the initial testing for Smart LTE and so far, it resulted to a positive one. Hopefully, the plans of having Smart LTE Testings in major cities such as Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao will push through in the coming weeks. SMART LTE will be available in the market by the end of the year. Let’s keep our fingers crossed 🙂
*Video recorded during the Smart LTE Testing to follow. Thanks to SMART and Nina Fuentes for some of the pictures!
NOTE: This is a Sponsored Trip. Thanks to Smart for bringing us to Boracay! 🙂
Balik tayo ng Boracay Mica!
yan ang kailangan nating mga bloggers. fast and reliable internet connection na wireless.awts. makabili nga.
love this sponsored trip, Boracay pa talaga, sosyal 🙂
Wow naman, galeng ng smart! 🙂 I’ve never been to Boracay, micx. Lol. Sana makapunta na ako one of these days. Yayyy! 🙂
@Nina – Next year balik tayo and stay there for a week! 😛
@Pusang-Kalye – Tama 😀 Can’t wait for it to be available for public 😛
@Lakwatsera de Primera – Oo nga eh. Bilis na ng internet connection, nasa paraiso pa 😛
@Kai – Book a trip to Boracay na, Kai. Punta kayo ni Rab 🙂
Of course it worked like a dream , Smart knew when and where you would be , ask yourself , would it have worked just as well in another place?Smart have a product to flog and they will USE you and fellow bloggers to sell it for them to what is mostly a less than critical consumer market.
Pingback: One Night Stand with Boracay « SENYORITA: Travelogue of a Twenty Something Filipina