PLDT, Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. provided the fastest fixed and mobile internet speeds in the country during the first half of the year, according to Ookla.
Based on the internet speed surveyor’s Fastest Fixed Network survey, PLDT reached a speed score of 20.44 in the first six months of 2019, as it recorded a top download speed of 51.36 Megabits per second (Mbps) and top upload speed of 54.22 Mbps.
The speed score is a measure that accounts for a provider’s download and upload speed to rank network speed performance.
PLDT’s speed score in the January to June period is an improvement from its score of 18.57 in the last Ookla speed test, which covered the second half of 2018.
Trailing it in the latest rankings are Sky, SmartBro and Globe Telecom, Inc., which all recorded improvements in its speed scores during the first half of the year. Sky obtained a score of 11.76 in the January to June period from 11.23 in the second half of 2018, SmartBro got 11.07 from 10.99, and Globe scored 10.04 from 9.36.
For the Ookla Fastest Mobile Data Network survey, Smart also topped its rival with a speed score of 17.07 in the first half of the year, recording an average download speed of 19.33 Mbps and average upload speed of 9.16 Mbps.
The latest speed score is again an improvement from the 15.57 it obtained in the second half of 2018.
Globe got a speed score of 10.05 to reflect an average download speed of 11.38 Mbps and average upload speed of 4.74 Mbps.
Globe slipped from the 10.10 speed score it had in the second quarter of 2018, as its average download speed went slower from 13.85 Mbps and average upload speed from 6.35 Mbps in the last six months of 2018.
PLDT-Smart attributed the improvement in its performance to the higher investments for its network.
“Now that our subscribers use more data, and as we continue to bring in new customers, we have to ensure they get fast and reliable connection all the time. We continue to build and expand our fiber and LTE network to meet those needs,” PLDT-Smart Senior Vice-President for Network Planning and Engineering Mario G. Tamayo said in a statement.
Globe was sought for comment on the rankings but was not able to respond as of press time.
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. — Denise A. Valdez
