Smart Launches 5G Roaming in South Africa with MTN

PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc (Smart) has launched its 5G roaming services in South Africa with MTN GlobalConnect. This brings Smart’s widest 5G roaming services live in five (5) continents, with 50 partners in 34 countries.

MTN GlobalConnect is an MTN operating company for pan-African telecommunication wholesale infrastructure services. The company offers reliable solutions for fixed connectivity and international mobile services.

“We’re excited to launch 5G roaming in South Africa with Smart’s network because of what it means for customers,” said Arne Casteleyn, General Manager for International Roaming at MTN GlobalConnect.

“We never stop innovating, developing, and deploying faster roaming services to provide our customers with access to a next-generation network. Providing 5G services to visitors coming to Africa is crucial to help them experience the same data speeds that they get at home, and to harness trends such as Internet of Things (IoT). This partnership with Smart for 5G roaming proves MTN’s commitment to provide excellent services to its travelers as restrictions ease with mass vaccinations,” Casteleyn added.

Customers of Smart in South Africa can enjoy 5G roaming access with their 5G-capable SIM and devices when they subscribe to Smart’s GigaRoam 1GB roaming plan for only P999 valid for 5 days. To subscribe, simply access roam.smart.com.ph or the GigaLife app.

“This is part of Smart’s commitment to bring our world-class services to anywhere in the world by expanding our 5G roaming coverage in Africa, after our successful rollout with 50 partners in Europe, USA, Middle East, Australia, and Asia,” said Ray Arsenal, AVP and Head of Roaming Partnerships. “Our goal is to enable our global customers with fast data speeds whenever they access our Smart 5G roaming services through our growing list of international telco partners.”

Aside from South Africa’s MTN, Smart 5G roaming services also recently went live with Taiwan Mobile; Swisscom in Switzerland; Telia Sweden; Telia Norway; Telia Finland; Telia Denmark; Telekom Deutschland in Germany; Hutchison HK in Hong Kong; AWN in Thailand; Vodafone in Romania; and Proximus in Belgium – serving customers in 34 countries around the world.

Leading the 5G revolution in PH

Smart's 5G network--the country's first, fastest and nationwidest--now has more than 4,000 sites across the Philippines, enabled by PLDT’s most extensive fiber infrastructure, at more than 524,000 kilometers as of end-June. This fiber infrastructure also supports Smart's LTE network, which now covers 96% of the population from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi. Smart was also recently cited as the fastest 5G network in the Philippines by Ookla®, the global leader in internet testing and analysis.

Smart also recently scored a rare sweep in the April 2021 Philippines Mobile Network Experience Awards by independent analytics firm Opensignal. The mobile services provider also received the ‘Best in Test’ award from international internet testing organization umlaut, the global benchmarking company formerly known as P3.

These efforts are also part of the PLDT and Smart’s commitment to helping the Philippines attain the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG no. 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.