Philippines
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Philippines
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumers' connectivity experiences. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily life.
Key Findings
Smart’s users find it easiest to connect to 5G
Our Smart 5G users again spent the most time with an active 5G connection and found a 5G signal in the most locations. Smart wins 5G Availability this time with a score of 16.5% and a lead of 6.7 percentage points over Globe’s 9.8%. Smart again comes top for 5G Reach, given its score of 4.6 points — giving it a lead of 0.6 points over Globe’s 4.1 points.
Globe gains ground on overall Games Experience, but Smart wins the award
Globe users saw the greatest improvement in their overall experience when playing multiplayer mobile games over cellular connections since our last report. The operator’s score rose by nine points (23.8%), while DITO’s increased by 4.7 points (11.4%) and Smart’s was statistically unchanged. This has moved Globe into second place and cut Smart’s lead down from 12.9 points to 7.8.
Globe comes top for 5G Upload Speed
Globe has overturned Smart’s 3.6 Mbps lead in the last report, to win the 5G Upload Speed award outright with a score of 12.8 Mbps. It wins by a margin of 1.4 Mbps. Globe’s victory was driven by a 1.8 Mbps increase in the average 5G upload speeds seen by our Globe users and a 3.2 Mbps decline in those seen by Smart users.
Smart pushes past Globe to win the Excellent Consistent Quality Award
This change in winner was caused by a spectacular 14.4 percentage point improvement in Smart’s score since the previous report. DITO saw similarly impressive gains, with an increase of 12.5 percentage points moving it into second place. Our Globe users saw a more modest rise of two percentage points. Smart wins with a score of 58.2% and by a margin of 3.8 points.
Globe draws level with Smart on 5G Games Experience and 5G Voice App Experience
Globe and Smart are joint winners of the 5G Games Experience and 5G Voice App Experience awards. In the last report Smart won both awards outright. Globe’s 5G Games Experience score rose by 6.3 points from the previous report, while Smart’s fell by 4.8 points. Our Globe users were the only ones to see an improvement in their 5G Voice App Experience — a modest rise of 1.6 points.
Smart users saw the fastest download speeds
Smart remains the outright winner of both the overall Download Speed Experience and 5G Download Speed awards. It wins Download Speed Experience with a score of 22.5 Mbps — 5.3 Mbps (30.6%) faster than DITO’s 17.2 Mbps and 8.3 Mbps (58.8%) ahead of Globe’s score of 14.2 Mbps. Smart users saw the fastest average 5G download speeds — 134.8 Mbps, 17.3 Mbps faster than Globe users’ 117.5 Mbps.
Mobile Experience Awards
Market Overview
Smart once again takes home the lion’s share of awards. The operator remains the outright winner of four out of five Overall Experience awards (Video Experience, Games Experience, Voice App Experience and Download Speed Experience). Smart also keeps hold of the 5G Download Speed Award and three out of four Coverage awards (5G Availability, 5G Reach and 4G Coverage Experience). However, while Smart has replaced Globe as the sole winner of the Excellent Consistent Quality award, it has lost the 5G Upload Speed award to Globe. Smart also now shares the 5G Games Experience and 5G Voice App Experience awards with Globe due to statistically tied scores.
Globe remains the winner of the 5G Video Experience and Core Consistent Quality awards, while DITO keeps hold of the Upload Speed Experience and Availability awards.
DITO said that it hit the 12 million subscriber mark in late August — ahead of its end of 2022 target. It continues to expand its 4G network — the operator recently said that it had achieved more than 70% population coverage as part of its third technical audit.
However, its more established rivals aren’t being complacent in this regard. Globe is seeking to build more than 1,700 new cell sites this year — up from the 1,407 it said it deployed in the 2021 financial year.
Smart said that its complement of 5G base transceiver stations rose to 7,300 in late June , up 2,500 year-on-year. The operator also stated that its combined 3G/4G/5G population hit 97% at the end of June.
Additional investment in the country’s mobile networks would be beneficial, given that the Philippines ranked last for the proportion of time that our users were connected to a 3G or better signal (Availability) when compared against four of the most populated ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia). In addition, the Philippines was in last place for Video Experience, Games Experience, Core Consistent Quality and Upload Speed Experience.
In this report, we've analyzed the mobile network experience of the Philippines' three national operators (DITO, Globe and Smart) in the 90 days starting on July 1, 2022 and ending on September 28, 2022 both at a national level and regionally. We have also analyzed the experience of our Filipino users when they were connected to 5G technology (5G experience) and the overall experience of our 5G users (the – 5G Users categories).
Overall Experience
National Analysis
Smart is once again the winner of the Video Experience award — it wins this time with a score of 42.7 points on a 100 point scale and a lead of 3.5 points over second placed Globe’s 39.3 points. DITO brings up the rear with 36.1 points. Smart is also the only Filipino operator to place in the Fair (40-55) category. Both DITO and Globe placed one category lower — Poor (under 40).
A Fair rating means that our Smart users did not not have a good experience either for higher resolution videos (very slow loading times and prolonged stalling) or for some video streaming providers. The experience on lower resolution videos from some providers might have been sufficient though.
DITO and Globe’s Poor ratings means that our users on their networks did not have a good experience even for lower resolution videos across all providers. Very slow loading times and frequent stalling were common.
Turning to the overall video experience of our 5G users (Video Experience – 5G Users), Smart 5G users had the best experience, but Smart’s lead over Globe was just 2.2 points.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Video Experience quantifies the quality of video streamed to mobile devices by measuring real-world video streams over an operator's networks. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate video experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the overall video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
In addition to Video Experience, we report on the following metrics related to video experience:
- 5G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Video Experience – 5G Users: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G video experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator’s 3G network.
National Analysis
Our Smart users continued to enjoy the best available overall experience when playing mobile multiplayer games over cellular connections. Smart’s score of 54.4 points on a 100 point scale gave it a lead of 7.8 points over second placed Globe’s 46.7 points. However, this is down from the lead of 12.9 points that Smart enjoyed in the last report when DITO was in second place.
Globe and DITO have swapped places due to Globe’s score rising by nine points (23.8%) compared to that seen in the last report, while DITO’s increased by 4.7 points (11.4%) and Smart’s was statistically unchanged.
Smart also comes top for the overall games experience of our 5G users (Games Experience – 5G Users), as its score of 52.2 points was three points higher than Globe’s 49.2 points.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-100, it analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter.
Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world.
Calculating Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games. The score is then measured on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Games Experience, we report on the following metrics related to games experience:
- 5G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Games Experience – 5G Users: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G games experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
Smart again comes top for Voice App Experience, winning this time with a score of 74.4 points on a 100 point scale and a lead of around 1.2 points, given DITO and Globe’s statistically tied scores of 73-73.2 points. Smart is the only operator to place in the Acceptable (74-80) category, while DITO and Globe remained in the Poor (66-74) category.
This means that some of our Smart users were satisfied. Perceptible call quality impairments were experienced by some of them. Clicking sounds of short duration or distortion were heard, and/or the volume may not have been sufficiently loud. Listeners were generally able to comprehend without repetition.
Many DITO and Globe users were dissatisfied with the quality of their experience when using over-the-top voice apps. Call quality impairments were experienced by many of them. Distortion, clicking sounds or silence were experienced during the call. These were perceptible and may have been annoying.
All three operators’ Voice App Experience scores have improved significantly since the last report. Globe users saw the largest improvement of 5.5 points, followed by DITO with 3.3 points and Smart with a rise of 0.7 points. As a result of these changes, Smart’s lead is around three times smaller than it was in our previous report (3.8 points).
While Smart wins Voice App Experience outright, it is statistically tied with Globe for Voice App Experience – 5G Users (the overall voice app experience of our 5G users across all generations of mobile technology).
Definitions
Opensignal's Voice App Experience measures the quality of experience for over-the-top (OTT) voice services — mobile voice apps such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger — using a model derived from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach for quantifying overall voice call quality and a series of calibrated technical parameters. This model characterizes the exact relationship between the technical measurements and perceived call quality. Voice App Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Voice App Experience, we report on the following metrics related to voice app experience:
- 5G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Voice App Experience – 5G Users: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G voice app experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
Our Smart users continued to observe the fastest overall download speeds in the Philippines. Smart therefore remains the sole winner of the Download Speed Experience award. It wins with a score of 22.5 Mbps — 5.3 Mbps (30.6%) faster than DITO’s 17.2 Mbps and 8.3 Mbps (58.8%) ahead of Globe’s score of 14.2 Mbps.
Our users’ overall download speeds rose significantly regardless of their choice of operator, with Smart, DITO and Globe’s scores rising by 2.8 Mbps, 2.4 Mbps and 2.2 Mbps, respectively.
In addition to winning Download Speed Experience outright, Smart also had the highest score for Download Speed Experience – 5G Users, 50.2 Mbps versus Globe’s 31.8 Mbps. This measures the average download speeds of our 5G users across all generations of mobile technology.
Definitions
Measured in Mbps, Download Speed Experience represents the typical everyday speeds a user experiences across an operator’s mobile data networks.
In addition to Download Speed Experience, we report on the following metrics related to download speeds:
- 5G Download Speed: The average download speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Download Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average download speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G download speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
National Analysis
DITO keeps a firm grip on the Upload Speed Experience award, winning it this time with a score of 4.4 Mbps — 0.5 Mbps (13.8%) faster than second placed Smart’s 3.9 Mbps. Globe is in third place with 3.5 Mbps.
However, Globe has gained ground on its rivals, as its score rose by 0.5 Mbps (15.2%) since the last report, while DITO and Smart’s fell by 0.4 Mbps (7.7%) and 0.6 Mbps (12.8%), respectively. As a result of these changes, Globe’s score was just 0.4 Mbps behind Smart’s instead of the gap of 1.4 Mbps seen in the last report.
Definitions
Upload Speed Experience measures the average upload speeds for each operator observed by our users across their mobile data networks. Typically upload speeds are slower than download speeds, as current mobile broadband technologies focus resources on providing the best possible download speed for users consuming content on their devices. As mobile internet trends move away from downloading content to creating content and supporting real-time communications services, upload speeds are becoming more vital and new technologies are emerging that boost upstream capacity.
In addition to Upload Speed Experience, we report on five supporting metrics related to upload speeds:
- 5G Upload Speed: The average upload speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Upload Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G upload speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
Regional Analysis
While Smart still dominates the regional Overall Experience, its grip on the awards table has weakened compared to the previous report. Smart still wins in all 17 regions either outright or jointly for Video Experience, Games Experience and Download Speed Experience. However, the number of regions in which it shares first place for Video Experience and Games Experience has increased significantly — from seven to nine and from one to seven, respectively.
Smart still wins Download Speed Experience outright in 16 regions — the sole exception is again Cagayan Valley where it statistically ties with DITO for the top spot. In contrast, Smart has gone from winning Upload Speed Experience outright in nine regions and being a joint winner in a further two, to not winning any awards outright and tying for first place in seven regions. DITO wins outright in 10 regions and jointly wins in a further six — the only region where it doesn’t win (either jointly or outright) is Bangsamoro where it is too early to report the experience of our DITO users.
DITO is also challenging Smart’s regional supremacy in terms of Games Experience and Voice App Experience. While it still doesn’t win any regional awards in these categories outright, it has gone from collecting one joint win for Games Experience and two for Voice App Experience to picking up five and 10, respectively. DITO also picks up five joint wins for Video Experience.
Globe has also done better this time around. The operator has gone from only picking up five joint wins for Video Experience to claiming nine. It also is now a joint winner in Bicol and Mimaropa alongside Smart for Games Experience. Globe is the outright winner for Voice App Experience in Bicol and a joint winner in this category in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos and Mimaropa. It also ties for the top spot for Upload Speed Experience in Bangsamoro and Bicol.
Regional Analysis Summary: Philippines, Mobile Network Experience Report, October 2022
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A-I
- Bangsamoro
- Bicol
- Cagayan Valley
- Calabarzon
- Caraga
- Central Luzon
- Central Visayas
- Cordillera
- Davao
- Eastern Visayas
- Ilocos
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J-R
- Metropolitan Manila
- Mimaropa
- Northern Mindanao
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S-Z
- Soccskargen
- Western Visayas
- Zamboanga Peninsula
in Bangsamoro
in Bangsamoro
in Bangsamoro
in Bangsamoro
in Bangsamoro
in Bicol
in Bicol
in Bicol
in Bicol
in Bicol
in Cagayan Valley
in Cagayan Valley
in Cagayan Valley
in Cagayan Valley
in Cagayan Valley
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Caraga
in Caraga
in Caraga
in Caraga
in Caraga
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Cordillera
in Cordillera
in Cordillera
in Cordillera
in Cordillera
in Davao
in Davao
in Davao
in Davao
in Davao
in Eastern Visayas
in Eastern Visayas
in Eastern Visayas
in Eastern Visayas
in Eastern Visayas
in Ilocos
in Ilocos
in Ilocos
in Ilocos
in Ilocos
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Mimaropa
in Mimaropa
in Mimaropa
in Mimaropa
in Mimaropa
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Soccskargen
in Soccskargen
in Soccskargen
in Soccskargen
in Soccskargen
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
in Zamboanga Peninsula
in Zamboanga Peninsula
in Zamboanga Peninsula
in Zamboanga Peninsula
in Zamboanga Peninsula
5G Experience
National Analysis
Our Globe users have continued to enjoy the best available experience when streaming mobile video over 5G connections. Globe again wins the 5G Video Experience award. Its score of 73.5 points gave it a lead of 5.1 points over Smart’s 68.4 points.
The two operators remain in the Very Good (65-75) category. This indicates generally fast loading times and only occasional stalling but the experience might have been somewhat inconsistent across users and/or video providers/resolutions.
Smart and Globe’s 5G Video Experience scores were 25.7-34.3 points higher than those for Video Experience, highlighting the improved experience that 5G users can enjoy and the potential improvement in 5G users’ overall video experience that could be achieved once ongoing 5G rollouts lead to further increases in 5G Availability.
Definitions
5G Video Experience quantifies the quality of mobile video experienced by Opensignal users on real-world video streams when they were connected to 5G. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate 5G Video Experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the video experience observed by our users on each operator’s 5G network on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
National Analysis
Globe and Smart are joint winners of the 5G Games Experience — a change from the previous report, when Smart won the award outright. The two operators were statistically tied with scores of 63-63.3 points on a 100 point scale. The joint win was driven by a 6.3 point rise in Globe’s score coupled with a decline of 4.8 points for Smart.
Globe and Smart’s 5G Games Experience scores were 16.4 and 8.9 points higher, respectively, than those for Games Experience, highlighting the superior gaming experience users can enjoy when connected to 5G.
Definitions
5G Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator's 5G network. It analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience was affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter. 5G Games Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
5G Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world. Calculating 5G Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games.
National Analysis
Our Smart and Globe users did not observe a statistically significant difference in their experience when using over-the-top voice apps on 5G connections. The two operators are therefore joint winners of the 5G Voice App Experience award with scores of 77.8-78.2 points. This is a change from the previous report, when Smart was the outright winner. Globe ties with Smart this time around as its score rose by 1.6 points, while Smart’s was statistically unchanged.
Definitions
5G Voice App Experience quantifies the experience of Opensignal users when using over-the-top voice apps — such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger — on an operator’s 5G network. It uses a model derived from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach for quantifying overall voice call quality and a series of calibrated technical parameters. This model characterizes the exact relationship between the technical measurements and perceived call quality. 5G Voice App Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
National Analysis
Smart continues to be the outright winner of the 5G Download Speed award. Our users on its 5G network observed average speeds of 134.8 Mbps, while those on Globe’s saw speeds of 117.5 Mbps. While Smart wins by a healthy margin of 17.3 Mbps, this is down significantly from the lead of 38.8 Mbps that Smart enjoyed in the previous report. Globe’s 5G Download Speed score rose by 6.4 Mbps, while Smart’s fell by 15.1 Mbps.
The uplift that 5G provides in terms of download speed in the Philippines is truly impressive. The average 5G download speeds seen by Globe users were 8.3 times faster than their overall speeds (measured across all mobile technology generations). Smart users saw a slightly lower but still impressive uplift, as the operator’s 5G Download Speed score was six times higher than that for the overall Download Speed Experience.
Definitions
5G Download Speed shows the average download speed experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Download Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
National Analysis
Globe has replaced Smart as the sole winner of the 5G Upload Speed Award. The average 5G upload speeds seen by our Globe users rose by 1.8 Mbps compared to those seen in the previous report, while Smart users saw a drop of 3.2 Mbps. These changes mean that Globe wins the award with a score of 12.8 Mbps and a lead of 1.4 Mbps over Smart’s 11.4 Mbps. Smart previously held a lead of 3.6 Mbps.
Our Globe and Smart users’ average 5G upload speeds were 3.7 and 2.9 times faster, respectively, than their overall speeds (measured across all mobile technology generations).
Definitions
5G Upload Speed measures the average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users across an operator’s 5G network. 5G Upload Speed for each operator is calculated in Mbps (Megabits per second).
Regional Analysis
In the last report, Smart achieved a clean sweep across all but 5G Video Experience. This time around, things are very different. Globe wins 5G Upload Speed outright in five out of the seven regions where we can analyze the 5G experience, while sharing the win with Smart in Western Visayas.
Smart has the edge in terms of 5G Download Speed, winning outright in Calabarzon, Central Luzon and Western Visayas, while Globe is the sole winner in Davao. The two operators were statistically tied in the other three regions.
Globe is either an outright or joint winner in all seven regions for 5G Video Experience. It wins outright in Calabarzon, Davao, Metropolitan Manila and Western Visayas. In contrast, Smart picks up four outright wins for 5G Games Experience, while Globe is the sole winner in Calabarzon and Metropolitan Manila.
Globe narrowly has the edge for 5G Voice App Experience, picking up two outright wins (Calabarzon and Metropolitan Manila) to Smart’s one (Western Visayas).
Regional Analysis Summary: Philippines, Mobile Network Experience Report, October 2022
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A-I
- Calabarzon
- Central Luzon
- Central Visayas
- Davao
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J-R
- Metropolitan Manila
- Northern Mindanao
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S-Z
- Western Visayas
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Davao
in Davao
in Davao
in Davao
in Davao
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
Coverage
DITO
Globe
Smart
National Analysis
Our DITO users continued to spend the largest proportion of their time connected to a 3G or better signal — 98.5%. The Philippines’ newest operator therefore retains the Availability Award. However, as Smart’s score rose by 0.8 percentage points, DITO’s lead has shrunk from the three percentage points seen in the previous report to 2.2 percentage points. Smart is in second place with 96.3%, while Globe brings up the rear with 91.9%.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
Availability shows the proportion of time all Opensignal users on an operator’s network had either a 3G, 4G or 5G connection.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
National Analysis
Smart is once again the sole winner of the 5G Availability award. This is because our 5G users on its network again spent the largest proportion of their time with an active 5G connection — 16.5%. This is an impressive 6.7 percentage points ahead of Globe 5G users’ 9.8% — and up from Smart’s previous lead of 5.8 percentage points. In addition, our Smart users were the only ones to observe a statistically significant increase in 5G Availability since the previous report — a rise of 1.8 percentage points.
Definitions
Our availability metrics are not a measure of a network’s geographical extent. They won’t tell you whether you are likely to get a signal if you plan to visit a remote rural or nearly uninhabited region. Instead, they measure what proportion of time people have a network connection, in the places they most commonly frequent — something often missed by traditional coverage metrics. Looking at when users have a connection rather than where, provides us with a more precise reflection of the true user experience.
We also keep track of the instances that leave mobile users most frustrated: when there is no signal to connect to at all. The most common dead zones users struggle with occur indoors. As most of our availability data is collected indoors (as that’s where users spend most of their time), we’re particularly astute at detecting areas of zero signal.
Our availability metrics take a user-centric, time-based approach that complements the user-centric and geographical-based methodology used by our reach metrics.
5G Availability shows the proportion of time Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription had an active 5G connection.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
National Analysis
Our Smart users were able to connect to 5G in the most locations out of all those they visited — making Smart the outright winner of the 5G Reach award for the second time in a row. Smart wins with a score of 4.6 points on a 10 point scale and a lead of 0.6 points over Globe’s 4.1 points. However, Globe’s score is up 0.6 points from that seen in the previous report, when Smart commanded a larger lead of 0.9 points.
Definitions
5G Reach measures how users experience the geographical extent of an operator’s 5G network. It analyzes the average proportion of locations where users were connected to a 5G network out of all the locations those users have visited. In simple terms, 5G Reach measures the 5G mobile experience in all the locations that matter most to everyday users – i.e. all the places where they live, work and travel. 5G Reach for each operator is measured on a scale from 0 to 10.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
National Analysis
Smart remains the sole winner of the 4G Coverage Experience award. It wins this time with a score of 8.1 points on a 10 point scale, giving it a lead of 0.3 points over Globe’s 7.8 points. DITO is in last place with 4.5 points. However, DITO’s score has risen the most since the last report, a gain of 0.6 points, while Globe and Smart’s scores rose by 0.3 and 0.2 points, respectively.
Definitions
4G Coverage Experience measures how mobile subscribers experience 4G coverage on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-10, it analyzes the locations where customers of a network operator received a 4G signal relative to the locations visited by users of all network operators.
In simple terms, 4G Coverage Experience measures the mobile coverage experience in all the locations that matter most to everyday users — i.e. all the places where they live, work and travel. It considers all the areas that Opensignal users visit, the portion of locations that 4G is available to them, and locations that more users visit have higher importance to them.
Map Definition
The coverage maps show the locations where we received measurements from users connecting with 3G or better mobile service. Each map provides an indication of the areas in which it is possible to obtain mobile service from that mobile operator.
Regional Analysis
DITO, the national winner for Availability, also dominates this metric at the regional level, winning outright in 11 regions and jointly winning in a further five, alongside Smart.
Similarly, Smart’s success at the national level for 5G Availability and 5G Reach is replicated regionally. The operator wins outright in five and four regions, respectively — while tying with Globe in the other regions.
Regional Analysis Summary: Philippines, Mobile Network Experience Report, October 2022
-
A-I
- Bangsamoro
- Bicol
- Cagayan Valley
- Calabarzon
- Caraga
- Central Luzon
- Central Visayas
- Cordillera
- Davao
- Eastern Visayas
- Ilocos
-
J-R
- Metropolitan Manila
- Mimaropa
- Northern Mindanao
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S-Z
- Soccskargen
- Western Visayas
- Zamboanga Peninsula
in Bangsamoro
in Bicol
in Cagayan Valley
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Calabarzon
in Caraga
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Luzon
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Central Visayas
in Cordillera
in Davao
in Davao
in Davao
in Eastern Visayas
in Ilocos
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Metropolitan Manila
in Mimaropa
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Northern Mindanao
in Soccskargen
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
in Western Visayas
in Zamboanga Peninsula
Consistency
National Analysis
Smart has replaced Globe as the outright winner of the Excellent Consistent Quality award. This means that Smart had the highest proportion of users’ tests that met the minimum recommended performance thresholds to watch HD video, complete group video conference calls and play games. Smart’s victory was made possible by an incredible 14.4 percentage point improvement in its score since the previous report. DITO saw similarly impressive gains, with an increase of 12.5 percentage points — moving it into second place — while our Globe users saw a more modest rise of two percentage points.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures how often users’ experience on a network was sufficient to support common applications’ requirements. It measures download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss, time to first byte and the percentage of tests attempted which did not succeed due to a connectivity issue on either the download or server response component.
Full details on how the Consistent Quality metrics — Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality — are calculated can be found here.
Excellent Consistent Quality is the percentage of users’ tests that met the minimum recommended performance thresholds to watch HD video, complete group video conference calls and play games.
National Analysis
Globe has held onto the Core Consistent Quality award, winning it outright with a score of 76.9%. However, its lead has shrunk to just 0.5 percentage points — a far cry from the 12.8 percentage points margin of victory it had in the previous report. DITO remains in second place, this time with a score of 76.4%, while Smart is in third place with 75.6%. Smart saw the largest improvement in its score since the last report — 17.8 percentage points — while DITO saw a smaller but still impressive increase of 14.5 percentage points. Globe users saw a much more modest rise of 2.3 percentage points.
Definitions
Consistent Quality measures how often users’ experience on a network was sufficient to support common applications’ requirements. It measures download speed, upload speed, latency, jitter, packet loss, time to first byte and the percentage of tests attempted which did not succeed due to a connectivity issue on either the download or server response component.
Full details on how the Consistent Quality metrics — Excellent Consistent Quality and Core Consistent Quality — are calculated can be found here.
Core Consistent Quality is the percentage of users’ tests that met the minimum recommended performance thresholds for lower performance applications including SD video, voice calls and web browsing.
Related Analysis
Our Methodology
Collecting billions of individual measurements daily from over 100 million devices globally, Opensignal independently analyzes mobile and broadband user experience on every major network operator around the globe.
About Opensignal
Opensignal is the leading global provider of independent insights into consumers' connectivity experiences and choice of carrier. Our proprietary insights into mobile and broadband networks give operators the solutions they need to profitably compete and win, from executive level scorecards and public validation to pin-point level engineering analytics and consumer decision dynamics.
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Confidence Intervals
For every metric we calculate statistical confidence intervals indicated on our graphs. When confidence intervals overlap, our measured results are too close to declare a winner. In those cases, we show a statistical draw. For this reason, some metrics have multiple operator winners.
In our bar graphs we represent confidence intervals as boundaries on either sides of graph bars.
In our supporting-metric charts we show confidence intervals as +/- numerical values.
Why confidence intervals are vital in analyzing mobile network experience