Internet analysis firm Ookla hails Philippine integrated telecommunications firm PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) as fastest fixed and mobile internet networks based on analysis by Ookla of tests taken with Speedt for the second half of 2020.

Ookla reported that PLDT achieved a Speed Score of 27.28, with top download speeds of 79.48 Mbps and top upload speeds of 92.18 Mbps. The fixed network award is based on 74,788,737 customer-initiated tests taken with Speedtest for Q3-Q4 2020.

Smart posted a Speed Score of 24.99, with average download speeds of 20.08 Mbps and average upload speeds of 7.42 Mbps, based on 3,915,679 user-initiated tests taken with Speedtest in the Philippines for the period Q3-Q4 2020.

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These scores are an improvement from the previous period when PLDT posted a Speed Score of 24.79 and Smart posted a Speed Score of 18.33.

“Over half a billion users rely on Speedtest to measure their internet performance every year. Ookla analyzes these test results to get an unparalleled view into mobile and fixed broadband metrics around the world,” said Doug Suttles, CEO at Ookla. “It is our pleasure to recognize PLDT and Smart as the Fastest Fixed and Mobile Network’s in the Philippines based on our rigorous analysis. This award is a testament to PLDT and Smart’s exceptional performance, as experienced by their own customers, in Q3 and Q4.”

Fastest network in key areas

Initial data included in Ookla’s country reports showed that Smart is way ahead in key areas like Quezon City, Cebu City, and Makati City, while PLDT is ahead in Quezon City, Cebu City, and Cagayan de Oro City.

In Quezon City, Smart posted Download Speeds of 32.69 Mbps, double that of the competing network. This reflects the continuous network upgrade and expansion activities that Smart undertook in the city, including the deployment of LTE-Advanced and carrier aggregation.

For mobile, Speed Score incorporates a measure of each provider’s download and upload speed to rank network speed performance. Tests used to calculate Speed Score exclusively come from devices with ‘Modern Chipsets’, which are devices capable of connecting to the market’s fastest, generally available technology.

For fixed, Ookla assesses the fastest network speeds attained across a given network, accounting for tests that are taken on various Speedtest applications that connect to a fixed network, including tests taken on mobile phones over a Wi-Fi connection. Each top carrier accounts for at least 3% of the sample size in the geographic area.