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Wednesday, May 24, 2006
SMART deploys service enhancement programs for 'Smart Bro'
THE more than 40,000 subscribers of Smart Communication's fixed wireless broadband offering Smart Bro can now look forward to a better, faster broadband experience, following the synchronized implementation of customer care and network enhancement project.
"We've just undertaken major enhancements in our Smart Bro offering on two fronts -- network operations and customer care," Smart Network Services Division head Roland Peña said. "These will result to greater bandwidth, faster connection, and improved customer support," he added.
Smart completed major enhancements in its customer care structure by incorporating Meridian's customer service functions with Smart's Customer Affairs Department. For the customer, this organizational restructuring translates to faster, more efficient resolution of concerns in all contact channels.
To keep pace with support demands, the company has expanded its customer support operations by increasing the number of its call center agents. Concurrent to this, it has started to equip its support staff with higher-level technical skills that will enable them to efficiently handle customer concerns. To date, Smart has 370 dedicated call center seats for Smart Bro, each capable of handling up to 95% of calls within 30 seconds.
Apart from empowering its call center agents, Smart has also started implementing training and certification programs for its installers and field contractors. This strategy is aligned with its objectives to extend and localize support, particularly in the regions.
"Our Smart Bro installers -- often our first point of contact with our customers -- are now also equipped to answer queries and handle basic troubleshooting. With this, we can better educate our customers, and at the same time provide them with direct and instantaneous support," Peña said.
Since its launching in September 2005, Smart Bro (originally Smart WiFi) now services more than 40,000 subscribers in over 300 towns spanning from Batanes in the North to Tawi-Tawi in the South. About 65% of these subscribers are located outside Metro Manila.
Smart has, likewise, launched a number of Customer Education Programs, including the publication and distribution of a comprehensive and easy-to-understand Customer Product Guide to better communicate these enhancements to all subscribers. This handbook contains detailed description of the service, configuration instructions, and basic troubleshooting.
To further raise service quality levels, Smart is currently improving network facilities by deploying advanced radio base stations and terminal equipment and installing upgraded routers.
It is also expanding the wireless broadband network's core transmission backbone capacity to up to 10 Gbps and its regional backbone capacity to 1 Gbps. International transmission capacity has also been increased significantly to further improve access to servers overseas.
"On the network side, we are making substantial investments to anticipate the growing bandwidth requirements of our various Internet offerings, including Smart Bro," Peña said.
Smart Bro is a "fixed wireless solution" to provide broadband Internet access. It rides on the nationwide cellular network of Smart to wirelessly deliver broadband Internet service to a subscriber's personal computer, eliminating the need for a phone line.
The "wireless" connection is established from a wireless broadband radio base station at the nearest Smart cellsite to the subscriber's home via a Smart Bro antenna. Cables connect the antenna to the subscriber's PC.
To enjoy the strongest possible high speed Internet connection, the subscriber's antenna must have a clear "line-of-sight" alignment and be within a 1.5 km. radius from a Smart cellsite.
"The service brings broadband Internet to places that in the past were beyond the reach of the World Wide Web. Hopefully, broadband will open up new opportunities for businesses, education, and e-government all over the country." Peña said.
Subscribers will need a PC with Pentium II or higher, 128 MB RAM or higher (preferable 256 MB RAM), Ethernet/ LAN Card, at least 10GB of hard disk space and operating system of Windows 98, 2000, XP, Linux or McIntosh OS. Initially, Smart Bro is available on one package at PhP999 monthly, VAT inclusive.
Numbering over 40,000 by April 2006, wireless broadband subscribers accounted for 35% of the total number of broadband subscribers of PLDT and Smart. Broadband capacity and subscribers have been doubling every year since 2002 and by year-end 2005, the number of broadband users of the PLDT Group more than doubled to 114,000 from 48,000 as of end-year 2004.
The Smart Bro service is for application at any Smart Wireless Center or PLDT Business Office nationwide, or through any accredited Smart or PLDT Sales agents. Sales activation and after-sales service customer support numbers for SMART Bro remains at *1888 from Smart cellphones, (02) 672 -7277, and PLDT toll-free 1-800-10-772-7277. (Press release)
(May 24, 2006 issue)
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