Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) on Friday bared keeping its position as frontrunner in the country’s 5G landscape, citing a report by independent analytics firm Opensignal.
Based on Opensignal’s latest Mobile Network Experience Report covering July to September period last year, Smart dominated in five categories, including 5G Availability, 5G Coverage, 5G Download Speed, 5G Upload Speed, and Overall Download Speed.
5G refers to the latest global wireless broadcast standard characterized by fast data speeds, ultra-low latency, greater reliability, improved capacity, and efficiency for users.
“Smart remains unbeaten on 5G Availability — the operator has won every 5G Availability award outright since Opensignal’s first report on the Filipino 5G experience back in October 2021,” Sam Fenwick, Opensignal Principal Analyst and author of the report said.
Alex O. Caeg, head of Smart Consumer Wireless Business said this recognition arose from its mission to provide Filipinos with the best mobile experience possible.
“As 5G gains more traction among Filipinos, our network is well-positioned to unlock all the game-changing benefits of 5G for our customers wherever and whenever they need it,” Kristine A. Go, senior vice president for Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.
“Many people usually turn to their fiber connection at home for high-bandwidth activities. With Smart 5G, our subscribers can take this superior experience on the go for seamless connectivity – it’s like they never left their home,” Go added.
Smart’s widest 5G coverage and availability enable customers to instantly post photos, reels, or stories of their memorable travel adventures across the country; easily upload and share their epic concert and festival moments even in jampacked outdoor venues; have the edge on their peers while playing their favorite mobile games with 5G’s low-latency; and even work on live-selling or livestream content on the go without interruption.
According to Opensignal, Smart is the first operator in the Philippines to win the new 5G Coverage Experience award, which measures the extent of mobile networks in places people live, work, and travel.
“On the other hand, securing the 5G Availability award meant that Smart 5G users spent more time with an active 5G connection compared to subscribers of other networks,” said Eric S. Santiago, FVP for Network at PLDT and Smart.
Smart’s network performance is enabled by the PLDT Group’s integrated fixed and wireless networks. Smart’s mobile network, which covers 97 percent of the population, is supported by PLDT’s fiber infrastructure at over 1.1 million kilometers as of end-September 2023.
