TELECOM | Record permits enable PLDT, Smart network rollout, boosting PH internet speeds
PLDT and Smart have secured around 22,000 fixed and wireless permits since the government fast-tracked approvals for telco firms last year.
Source: TechSabado.com
PLDT and its wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) widened their lead in the Philippines’ campaign to lift internet speeds, on the back of their sustained rollout of their fixed and wireless networks.
As of June 22, 2021, PLDT and Smart have secured around 22,000 fixed and wireless permits since the government fast-tracked approvals for telco firms last year. This, coupled with the relentless build out despite the risks brought on by the pandemic, has enabled PLDT and Smart to achieve delivering improved customer experience.
According to analysis by Ookla of Speedtest Intelligence® data, Smart’s average mobile download speeds have almost tripled from 16.60 Mbps to 47.30 Mbps between May 2020 and May 2021, while PLDT’s average fixed download speeds have more than doubled from 27.44 Mbps to 67.91 Mbps in the same period.
In the latest Speedtest Global Index published by Ookla, the Philippines’ mobile average download speeds were at 31.98 Mbps, whereas average fixed broadband speeds were at 59.73 Mbps. The latest results placed the country at 77th and 65th, respectively, and represent significant improvements from the April 2021 rankings (7 places and 15 places up, respectively).
“Our nation-widest coverage through wireless and fiber footprint expansion strengthens our foundation as the only integrated telco in the country,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications president & chief executive. “Speed in the homes is strengthened by our ongoing fiber rollout, while 5G continues to lift the wireless experience. We are leading this charge and will never stop innovating, as we aim to help elevate the country’s overall speeds, taking the Philippines to global heights,”
As of end-March, PLDT’s fiber infrastructure is at over 478,000 kilometers across the country. This supports Smart’s mobile network by providing high-capacity links for its more than 63,000 base stations. Smart covers 96% of the population from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi.
Award-winning network
For their efforts at elevating the country’s internet speeds, PLDT and Smart have been hailed by third-party analytics firms like Ookla and Opensignal.
Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, named PLDT and Smart as the country’s fastest fixed and mobile data network in the second half of 2020 based on customer-initiated tests taken with Speedtest for Q3-Q4 2020. Ookla has also cited Smart as the country’s fastest mobile data network for three years in a row now.
On the other hand, Smart also recently scored a rare sweep in the April 2021 Philippines Mobile Network Experience Awards by independent analytics firm Opensignal, beating the competition across all metrics in three essential aspects of service: Coverage (4G Coverage Experience, 4G Availability), Speed (Download and Upload Speed) and Experience (Games, Video and Voice App). This is the first time an operator in the Philippines won decisively in all categories.
Smart also received the top award from international internet testing organization umlaut, the global benchmarking company formerly known as P3. Smart received the ‘Best in Test’ award and was recognized for delivering the best-rated broadband coverage, user download experience and latency experience, despite challenges of the pandemic and more stringent benchmarking guidelines.
These initiatives form a large part of PLDT’s capital expenditures, which totaled P460.8 billion in the last ten years. To address the growing data needs of their fixed and wireless customers, PLDT and Smart are prepared to invest between P88 billion and P92 billion in capital expenditures in 2021.
