Ookla Reports That the PH Has Improved 4G and 5G Availability

Internet analytics firm, Ookla has released a report stating that the Philippines has seen improved 5G and 4G availability, which they attribute to DITO Telecommunity being a new competitor for the duopoly-dominated industry. 

Of the three major telecom companies in the Philippines, DITO Telecommunity had the highest 4G availability with 91.2%, followed by Globe with 84.9%, and then Smart with 83.8% in the first quarter of 2022. 

With their speed test intelligence data, Ookla found improvement in 4G availability which rose to 84.8% in Q1 of 2022. This is in comparison to last year’s 80.6% in the same period. 

Ookla goes on to mention that the “operator’s network coverage is just one part of the story,” and also adds that other features such as SIMS, compatible handsets, and tariffs should also be considered. 

According to Ookla “Our analysis suggests that DITO’s entry combined with regulatory changes resulted in more network investment and an overall improvement in 4G coverage and performance across all operators,”

In terms of cities, Caloocan City proved to be the best in 4G availability in the Philippines’ most populated cities with 94.1%, followed by Quezon City at 86.7%, then Manila with 88.2%, Davao with 73.5%, and finally Cebu with 69.7%. 

For the 5G availability in the country, the figures have doubled in the last year. The recorded figures for 5G availability stand at 18.1% in Q1 of 202 from 9.4% last year in the same period. 

The Ookla reports linking the increase of availability to the Department of Public Works and Highways lifting the ban on critical infrastructure construction, namely of cell sites along national roads, last 2021.

Source: Philstar