Philippines – Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), the wireless arm of PLDT, has completed a live demonstration of Ericsson On-Demand’s Roaming Breakout (RBO) service, according to the companies.
The trial, carried out with technology partner Ericsson, marks a step towards improving the data roaming experience for Filipino travellers overseas.
Conducted simultaneously in the United States and the Philippines, the tests examined services frequently used by travellers, including video streaming and video calling, according to Smart and Ericsson.
The pilot routed subscriber data traffic through a Google point-of-presence in Virginia, United States, instead of sending it back to the Philippines, the companies said.
This approach, known as Local Breakout (LBO), resulted in improved latency, faster browsing and streaming, and a smoother overall roaming experience, Smart said.
Among the use cases tested were video calls made via Messenger between users in the US and the Philippines, as well as between the US and Sweden.
The LBO-enabled smartphone reportedly delivered a smoother call experience compared with the traditional home-routed connection, according to the companies.
Meanwhile, speed tests conducted on both demo smartphones showed download speeds up to five times faster, significantly lower latency, and smoother 4K video streaming when using LBO.
Smart said the results point towards a “local-like” overseas mobile experience, comparable to what customers might expect from a local SIM or travel eSIM.
“As customer expectations evolve, we continue to actively explore technologies that can transform how our subscribers stay connected while traveling abroad. This successful pilot with Ericsson gives us valuable insights into how next-generation roaming capabilities can help deliver a leveled-up experience for Filipinos wherever their journeys may take them,” said Roderick S. Santiago, Head of Network Strategy and Architecture at PLDT and Smart.
“By enabling a better roaming experience, LBO can also help us uphold the network quality and reliability that Smart subscribers have come to expect, not only in the Philippines but even when they are overseas,” he added.
For its part, Ericsson said the pilot reflects the capabilities of its SaaS Core platform built on Google Cloud.
Bipin Melvin, VP & Head of Cloud Software and Services, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines and the Pacific Islands, Ericsson, said, “This successful pilot demonstrates how our SaaS Core built for Google Cloud, with its ease of creating core networks anywhere in the world, can help transform the roaming experience for mobile subscribers.”
“By enabling data traffic to break out closer to where travelers are located, Ericsson On-Demand’s Roaming Breakout service can significantly reduce latency and improve performance. Together with Smart, we have shown how innovation in roaming can help deliver a more seamless, local-like experience for customers wherever they travel”, Melvin concluded.
According to PLDT and Smart, the initiative reflects the wider PLDT Group’s commitment to delivering an improved customer experience to Filipinos both locally and abroad.
The companies added that the effort supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, as well as the Philippine government’s broader digitalisation agenda.
