PLDT Inc. wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. emerged as the country’s fastest and best mobile network operator in the first half of the year, according to the latest Ookla data.
Ookla’s latest analysis for the first to the second quarters of 2023 showed that Smart continued to deliver the fastest mobile speeds and best mobile coverage to customers, clinching the “Best Mobile Network” award, a prestigious distinction for mobile operators around the world.
Smart emerged as the fastest mobile network with a speed score of 64.25, while its closest competitor posted a speed score of 39.04.
To arrive at that speed score, Smart posted a median download speed of 34.08 megabits per second (Mbps) and a median upload speed of 7.34 Mbps.
Its closest competitor posted a median download speed of 22.52 Mbps and a median upload speed of 5.38 Mbps.
Smart also led in the “Best Mobile Coverage” category with a coverage score of 786, edging out its closest competitor’s coverage score of 769.
Ookla said the coverage score captures both the number of locations in which an operator offers service and the quality of service in each location.
The “Fastest Mobile Network” award is based on more than 2.4 million user-initiated tests, while the coverage award is based on over 3.7 million scan counts.
“As the driving force behind these recognitions, our Fixed, Mobile, and Enterprise customers can rest assured that they can count on us to continuously provide them with the best network possible,” said Alfredo Panlilio, PLDT and Smart president and chief executive officer.
Smart said Ookla’s latest report showed its superiority in terms of speed and coverage scores. Underpinning its mobile network performance are PLDT and Smart’s integrated fixed and wireless networks.
As of end-March 2023, PLDT has expanded its total fiber footprint to over 1.1 million kilometers, consisting of over 231,000 km of international fiber and over 874,000 km of domestic fiber.
This fiber infrastructure also supports Smart’s 2G, 3G, 4G/Long Term Evolution and 5G networks that cover 97 percent of the country’s population.
