MANILA - Mobile internet speeds in the Philippines showed significant improvement following the commercial launch of DITO Telecommunity, an industry watcher said.

In a report published June 30, Ookla said that based on its analysis, DITO’s entry, combined with regulatory changes, resulted in more network investment and an overall improvement in 4G coverage and performance across all operators.

Ookla also noted improvement in 5G availability improved as Right of Way (RoW) rules were eased and as telcos boosted their investment in 5G networks.

It noted that the Philippines’ 4G performance was catching up with its peers in ASEAN.

“Singapore came first with a 44.11 Mbps median 4G download speed ahead of Vietnam (34.89 Mbps), followed by Thailand (24.86 Mbps) and Malaysia (22.41 Mbps),” Ookla said.

“Across Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia, the 4G median speeds were well under 20 Mbps, with the Philippines coming with a 15.53 Mbps median download speed and a 5.14 Mbps median upload speed.”

Smart was ahead in terms of median 4G download speed in Q1 2022 at 18.57 Mbps. Meanwhile, DITO had the best 4G Availability in Q1 2022 at 91.2 percent of its network.

Ookla also noted that Smart won both in terms of 5G speeds and 5G Availability in Q1 2022, it recorded 200.43 Mbps median download speed and 25.5 percent 5G Availability, ahead of Globe with 121.29 Mbps download speed and 15.3 percent 5G Availability.

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