Mobile data speeds in the Philippines have improved, boosted by major investments of telecommunications operators in the past year, according to the Asia Network Quality Report of J.P. Morgan Securities for the fourth quarter of 2016.
Average LTE download speeds in the country rose to 8.24 Mbps in the last quarter of 2016 from 7.27 Mbps national LTE average posted in the previous quarter.
This is ahead of fellow archipelagic country Indonesia’s LTE average speed of 6.66 Mbps for the same period.
The same report, which cited crowd-sourced data gathered by wireless coverage research firm OpenSignal, also found that among Philippine carriers, Smart posted the highest overall LTE download speeds at 9.17 Mbps. Smart has also taken the lead in NCR for 3G, with download speeds of 2.85 Mbps, the report shows.
LTE download speeds across areas ranged from 7.39 Mbps in the Visayas to 9.99 Mbps in Metro Manila.
The improvements have been driven by the stepped up investments of operators to upgrade their data networks.
PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. is now undertaking a nationwide, three-year network expansion and overhaul program to improve both coverage and quality of service, especially its LTE service.
A major leg of the network expansion is currently underway in Metro Manila and in Metro Cebu, and is expected to significantly boost Smart’s voice, SMS, and mobile data services, specially its indoor LTE coverage, in these urban centers.
Earlier, Smart completed its network overhaul program in Boracay and Metro Davao, where users have already reported improved quality of LTE services.
According to initial tests done by Smart, the ongoing network rollout in and around Metro Manila has begun to pay off. Tests in Rizal province showed LTE download speeds of up to 18 Mbps. In Cebu, initial speed tests conducted by Smart last week in selected indoor and outdoor areas generated download speeds in excess of 20 Mbps, marked improvements from the Open Signal reports in end-2016 for LTE and 3G.
