Smart amplified the excitement for j-hope’s much-awaited Hope on the Stage concert at MOA Arena last April 12 and 13. Smart also marked a technological milestone by successfully showcasing its cutting-edge 5G Standalone (SA) technology–a next-level and differentiated mobile network experience for Smart subscribers so they can maximize 5G technology.

5G SA allows for “network slicing” to optimize its network infrastructure for specific uses and applications, such as offering a prioritized network experience for customers in a jam-packed concert or a peak usage scenario.

Using 5G-SA-capable handsets at the venue, Smart successfully showcased its 5G SA network slicing capabilities to random concertgoers, achieving impressive download user experience even amidst thousands of fellow concertgoers. To further signify the power of this leveled-up mobile internet technology, Smart also aptly changed the network ID of its SA-enabled devices with “J-Hope Concert,” displayed on the upper left part of the screen.

“Our groundbreaking Smart 5G SA technology showcase marks a significant leap forward in our commitment to providing Filipinos with a world-class customer experience,” Smart Head for Network Operations Debbie Hu said.

The Smart 5G SA technology showcase builds on the back-to-back launches of Smart 5G Max and TNT ‘5G Max’ in Taguig City last December, to offer a more seamless mobile experience to customers. In addition to 5G Max, TNT also launched Max Saya 30, the first prepaid data pack with prioritized network experience.

From the verification process and strapping to the lining up and up to the concert proper, the power of Smart 5G Max came in handy for subscribers. “My parents wanted me to update them every hour because this was the first time for me to attend a K-pop concert,” said Elaine, a university student. “My Smart 5G line made sure I could message them via SMS or Viber.”

Elaine was also able to post short videos on the social media platforms TikTok and Instagram so she could tell her friends what was happening in real time.

“We also had the chance to see the demo of Smart’s 5G SA, and it clearly showed boosted internet compared to a device that did not have SA. Throughout the concert, there were no lags, and I was posting the whole time during and after the show,” she said.

Nic, a young professional who attended Day 2 of the concert, is thankful that his Smart phone’s signal did not waver. “I have attended concerts where the signal was bad, and it made me anxious because what if no one could reach me and something important was happening? This time with Smart, I was reassured that my family could contact me anytime.”

With their phone signal strong and consistent, concertgoers got to enjoy singer-songwriter, rapper, and main dancer j-hope, who performed his own hits “Mona Lisa,” “Sweet Dreams,” “More,” “On the Street,” and many others. Known to his fans as Hobi, j-hope also did BTS hits like “Mic Drop,” “Airplane,” “Ego,” “Silver Spoon,” “Trivia: Just Dance,” and “Dis-ease.”