Globe, Smart Have Better Download Speeds according to OpenSignal’s Latest Report

Do you feel the improvement?

Both Globe and Smart have been hard at work improving and expanding their infrastructure in the past few months and all that work is paying off, at least based on the latest findings of OpenSignal.

Comparing the March to May 2017 test period to the February to April 2018 test period, OpenSignal noted that both telcos have significantly increased their overall speed, with Globe upping their overall speed to 63%. Smart on the other hand, nearly doubled their download speeds compared to their only competition.

To recap, the March 2018 report indicated that Smart has an overall download speed of 5.78 MBPS, which is a significant improvement from the 3.41 MBPS overall download speeds from the March 2017 report. Globe, on the other hand, had the same overall speed with Smart from the March 2017 report, while having a slightly improved overall speed at 4.41 MBPS from the March 2018 report.

OpenSignal credits the LTE coverage expansion of both telco companies for the improved overall speeds. While both telcos have improved speeds, Smart has managed to pull away from its competitor thanks to its aggressive network expansion.

Comparing to the March 2017 and March 2018 reports, Smart had a 20% network coverage improvement, while Globe had a lower 12% network coverage improvement. Recently, Smart expanded its LTE network coverage in Batanes and Sagada, while it improved its overall LTE speeds in Cebu and Marikina.

On top of that, Smart is also working on WiFi calling as part of its LTE expansion efforts. You can read OpenSignal’s full report here.

One quick PSA though: Before you go bash OpenSignal’s latest report, or question the efforts of both telcos, you might want to consider the following:

Get your SIM cards updated. While both telcos are expanding their LTE coverage and overall speeds, chances are their subscribers have yet updated their SIM cards. A quick trip to your nearest Smart or Globe center should do, and upgrading to an LTE SIM card is not expensive (expect to pay around Php 50 for a SIM upgrade).

Get a newer LTE-powered phone. Based on the phones we have reviewed, not all LTE-equipped phones are created equal. Some phones come with newer LTE modems that have support for LTE Cat 12 or Cat 18: These newer category definitions let you enjoy faster speeds with your LTE-enabled SIMs.

Ask around. As the saying goes, it does not harm to ask your friends and colleagues about their experience with both networks. Reports like those presented by OpenSignal only presents one part of the picture (just like our usual benchmarking in our reviews), and the experience varies on every user.

Full Disclosure: Carlo Ople, our founder and EIC, is currently working as a VP for PLDT/Smart.