Smart 5G is "nearly twice as fast" as competitor, according to Ookla report

Philippine 5G pioneer and leader Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) remains the country’s fastest 5G network in the previous quarter with a median download speed that is “nearly twice as fast” as its competitor, according to the latest report by Ookla, the global leader in broadband network intelligence.

In its Speedtest Global Index Market and Analyses covering Q3 2021, Ookla reported that Smart had a median 5G download speed at 217.03 Mbps, which is faster than that of Globe’s 114.12 Mbps.

Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index also identified the mobile operators with the fastest 5G download speeds in selected markets, including United States’ T-Mobile with 135.17 Mbps; Hong Kong’s China Mobile with 191.95 Mbps; Germany’s Telekom with 161.14 Mbps; and Canada’s Bell at 183.39 Mbps.

Also posting much faster median 5G download speeds were Singapore’s Singtel with 248.45 Mbps; Finland’s Telia with 283.34 Mbps; China’s China Telecom with 304.03 Mbps; Spain’s Vodafone with 323.14 Mbps; New Zealand’s Vodafone at 326.44 Mbps; Qatar’s Ooredoo with 373.98 Mbps; and Taiwan’s Chunghwa Telecom with 440.93 Mbps.

World-class customer experience

“Ookla’s latest report underscores the steady progress we’ve made in rolling out 5G and providing our subscribers with a world-class customer experience in terms of speed and coverage,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.

“This inspires us to continue with our network rollout and improvement efforts, as well as stay ahead of our subscribers' needs by offering innovative products and services,” she added.

Smart now has around 800,000 5G users on its network, which is a 200% increase from the number of Smart 5G users in December 2020.

To date, Smart has also fired up over 4,400 5G sites in more than 4,000 locations for the Philippines’ widest 5G coverage.

Top Speed Score and Latency

Aside from leading in terms of 5G performance, Smart also retained its distinction as the fastest mobile operator in the Philippines with a Speed Score of 59.71, which is way ahead of Globe’s 28.38 and DITO’s 25.34. Speed Score incorporates a measure of each provider’s download and upload speed to rank network performance.

Moreover, Smart had the lowest median latency, which means it had the most responsive connection essential for activities such as streaming and gaming. Smart posted a median latency of 20 milliseconds (ms), faster than DITO’s 24 ms and Globe’s 25 ms.

Make the Smart move now

These metrics make Smart the preferred network of discerning mobile users who need fast and reliable connection for their hybrid work setup, virtual classes, online business, and mobile entertainment, according to Basas.

To better serve customers, Smart has introduced pioneering 5G services such as the Signature Plans+, the first postpaid line-up in the country featuring Unlimited 5G access. Smart also introduced the country’s first Unli 5G data offers for prepaid subscribers in April.

Smart is also gearing up to make available more 5G devices that enable subscribers to experience next-level speeds for their online activities – from sending heavy work or school files in seconds, making crystal-clear video calls and virtual meetings, streaming ultra-HD movies seamlessly, to playing high-bandwidth mobile games without lag.

With Mobile Number Portability, which allows mobile users to switch to Smart without changing their number, Smart is keen on attracting more mobile users to experience its fastest and widest 5G network.

To switch to Smart, simply visit x.smart/switch or head to the nearest Smart Store. Users can also make the Smart move now via the GigaLife App.