Smart, UAAP gear up for digital partnership

Mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc (Smart) is gearing up to bring collegiate sports at the fingertips of Filipinos as the official digital partner of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).  

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This landmark partnership, made possible through the collaboration among Cignal TV, One Sports, and Smart, unlocks new opportunities to promote collegiate sports and foster school pride among students amid the lack of face-to-face campus activities. 

As one of the country’s leading amateur leagues, UAAP and its legions of fans can expect more exciting and engaging ways to watch their favorite sports, support their university athletes, and catch the best hardcourt moments and display of school spirit – powered by Smart’s latest mobile innovations and digital technology. 

“We share the vision of UAAP in promoting collegiate sports as a breeding ground of the next generation of world-class athletes. As UAAP’s digital partner, Smart embraces this opportunity not just to bring the games to more Filipinos but also help bring the passion for sports to many especially during these challenging times,” said Al S. Panlilio, PLDT Chief Revenue Officer and Smart President and CEO. 

It will be recalled that UAAP Season 82 was put on hold in early March with the announcement of Enhanced Community Quarantine in the country leaving all fans, players and students in limbo for the succeeding months. But as the new normal takes over, the UAAP follows through. 

“Bringing UAAP right at the fingertips of more Filipinos is aligned with our commitment to simply give our customers exactly what they want and enable them to pursue their passions through cutting-edge digital technology,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.   

The collaboration involving UAAP, Cignal, One Sports, and Smart will start as soon as the league returns for Season 83 (2020-2021). Prior to this digital collaboration, Smart recently brought National Basketball Association action to Filipinos via NBA.Smart, and now powers the ongoing Philippine Basketball Association bubble with Smart 5G in Clark, Pampanga. 

Smart, of course, shares a long history of supporting the country’s various sports programs, leagues, and athletes both in the local and international arena.

The country’s fastest mobile data network 

Smart’s services are powered by Smart LTE, the country’s fastest mobile data network, as certified by international third-party mobile internet analytics firms such as Opensignal and Ookla.    

A recent report by Opensignal1, an independent mobile analytics firm, shows that Smart has been consistently offering a much better Video Experience for subscribers compared to the competition for the past seven quarters starting in Q3 2018. Moreover, Smart’s Video Experience score has increased from 42.4 points to 53.5 points, a rise of 11.1 points (26.3%) between Q3 2018 and Q1 2020.   

In its April 2020 Mobile Network Experience Report for the Philippines2, Opensignal also noted that Smart remained ahead of the competition in terms of Video Experience, Upload and Download Speed Experience, Voice App Experience, Games Experience, and 4G Availability.   

On the other hand, Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, recently named Smart as the country’s fastest mobile data network in the first half of 2020 after it achieved a Speed Score™ of 18.33, with average speeds of 15.94 Mbps for download, and 7.57 Mbps for upload, based on 2,810,963 user-initiated tests taken with Speedtest®.   

Smart has also rolled out its superfast 5G network in strategic locations in the cities of Manila, Quezon City, Makati, Taguig, Pasig, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Parañaque, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Navotas, San Juan, and Pasay and in the provinces of Boracay, Cavite, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Laguna, and Rizal.   

To learn more about Smart’s products and services, visit smart.com.ph and follow Smart’s official accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.