SMART Communications, Inc., the wireless arm of PLDT Inc., delivered the fastest median download speed at 32.16 megabits per second (Mbps) in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022, according to global benchmarking firm Ookla.
In its fourth-quarter mobile performance report for the Philippines released on Wednesday, Ookla said that Globe Telecom, Inc. had a median download speed of 21.30 Mbps for the period, followed by DITO Telecommunity Corp.’s 17.66 Mbps.
Smart also “registered the lowest median multi-server latency in the Philippines at 47 ms (milliseconds),” it added.
Ookla said its multi-server latency is “designed to represent the latency the user should expect to encounter more generally when their network is not under heavy load.”
It is computed from the multiple pings conducted during server selection. “During server selection, the application pings several on- and off-net servers, multiple times each, to determine which servers to use during the test,” Ookla said.
DITO had the second lowest median multi-server latency during the period at 48 ms, followed by Globe at 56 ms.
In terms of consistency, Ookla said that Globe had the highest consistency in the Philippines during the quarter, with 83.1% of results showing at least a 5 Mbps minimum download speed and 1 Mbps minimum upload speed.
Consistency is the metric used by Ookla to identify fixed broadband or mobile networks that provide a consistent quality of service.
“It reflects the percentage of a provider’s data samples that meet minimum thresholds for download and upload speeds, depending on the type of network. The higher a provider’s consistency, the more likely a consumer will enjoy acceptable internet performance and quality,” Ookla said.
Smart was the second most consistent mobile network provider in terms of quality during the period, with 80.8%, followed by DITO with 72.6%, according to Ookla.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin
