Smart awarded as Philippines’ Fastest and Best Mobile Network by Ookla
Editor’s note: This press release is sponsored by Smart and was handled by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No member of the news and editorial team participated in the publishing of this piece.
With its commitment to deliver the best overall experience to Filipino mobile users, the wireless arm of PLDT has hit a new milestone as Ookla, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence, has declared Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) as Philippines’ Fastest and Best Mobile Network in its latest report.
A rare distinction, the Best Mobile Network citation has only been given by Ookla to approximately 20 mobile operators in the world, with Smart being the first and only Philippine mobile operator to clinch the award since Speedtest started in 2017. To earn this citation, a mobile operator must lead in two crucial Ookla Speedtest Awards categories, namely Fastest Mobile Network and Best Mobile Coverage, within the same test period.
Fastest speeds and widest coverage
In the latest Ookla’s Speedtest Awards covering Q1-Q2 2022*, Smart emerged as the ‘Fastest Mobile Network’ with a Speed Score of 62.22, while its closest competitor posted a Speed Score of 32.48.
To bag this category, Smart posted a median download speed of 24.26 Mbps and a median upload speed of 6.59 Mbps, while its closest competitor posted a median download speed of 17.47 Mbps and a median upload speed of 6.43 Mbps.
Smart also dominated the ‘Best Mobile Coverage’ category with a Coverage 794, surpassing its closest competitor’s Coverage Score of 732. The Coverage Score captures both the number of locations in which an operator offers service (its footprint) and the quality of service in each location, explained Ookla in its report.
The best position to empower the lives of Filipinos
In fulfilling its primary goal to empower the lives of Filipinos, Smart customers now enjoy a much better experience especially when it comes to browsing apps and websites, uploading and downloading files, streaming videos, and playing mobile games, among others. Smart’s latest string of recognitions from independent analytics firms is a testament to this improved customer experience.
“Speedtest Awards, presented by Ookla, are an elite designation reserved for the fastest and top-performing fixed broadband and mobile operators around the world. It is our pleasure to present Smart with the award for Best Mobile Network in the Philippines. This recognition is testament to their exceptional performance in H1 2022 based on Ookla’s rigorous analysis of consumer-initiated tests taken with Speedtest,” said Doug Suttles, CEO at Ookla.
“Being the first Philippine mobile services provider to be declared as the ‘Best Mobile Network’ is a huge honor for Smart. This inspires us in our mission to provide better connectivity for our customers as we all adapt to a digitally empowered lifestyle,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT and Smart President and CEO.
“We aim to enable the life of every Filipino. This aligns with our nation-building efforts as we also support the government’s aspiration to digitalize the country,” Panlilio added.
“Smart’s laser-sharp focus on providing Filipinos with the best customer experience all these years has led to this groundbreaking recognition. We commit to continuously improving our network so we can empower Filipinos with our fastest speeds and widest coverage that enable them to make every moment count and achieve more in life,” said Francis E. Flores, SVP and Head of Consumer Business Group – Individual at Smart.
With Smart’s fastest speeds, subscribers can do and accomplish more – from connecting with loved ones in crystal-clear calls, sending important work and school files in seconds, sharing content on social media in real-time, to watching high-definition videos seamlessly and playing high-bandwidth mobile games without lag.
Smart’s widest coverage means subscribers can stay connected more – whether it’s from the comfort of their home or office, the commute to school or work, or outside the city for a well-deserved break.
Operator to beat in the Philippines
These latest Ookla Speedtest Awards add to Smart’s recent string of citations that reinforce its network leadership.
Last April, independent firm Opensignal declared Smart as the “operator to beat in the Philippines” as it dominated the Opensignal Mobile Experience Awards**, covering the essential aspects of service, especially speed and experience. These awards include Best Overall Experience for Video, Games, Voice App, and Download Speed across all technologies.
As of end-June 2022, Smart had around 77,100 total base stations nationwide, including around 7,300 5G base stations, to support the growing mobile data needs of 3G, 4G/LTE and 5G customers from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi.
Non-Smart subscribers can experience the power of Smart without changing their number through Mobile Number Portability, a service that can be conveniently booked via https://smart.com.ph/Pages/mobilenumberportability and at Smart Stores nationwide. To know more about the Philippines’ Fastest and Best Network, visit www.smart.com.ph. – Rappler.com
*Fastest Mobile Network and Best Mobile Coverage: Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data for Q1–Q2 2022.
**Opensignal Awards – Philippines: Mobile Network Experience Report April 2022, based on independent analysis of mobile measurements recorded during the period January 1 – March 31, 2022 © 2022 Opensignal Limited.