PLDT’s wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) on Thursday said that it was officially awarded by Ookla, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence, as the Philippine winner for Best Mobile Network, Fastest Mobile Network.

The company said this marked for five years in a row that they had won the award, as well as the Best Mobile Coverage at the 2023 Mobile World Congress (MWC) held in Barcelona, Spain.

The statement said that Smart is the first and only Philippine mobile operator to be given Ookla’s prestigious Best Mobile Network award, an elite designation given to wireless services providers with both the Fastest Mobile Network and Best Mobile Coverage within the same reporting period.

“This is just the start. This will be an inspiration for us to continuously be better and stronger, delivering the best customer experience to all Filipinos through efficient and cost-effective solutions,” Eric Santiago, Network Head at PLDT and Smart, said.

“Our Best Mobile Network award has helped reinforce our network superiority, especially because according to our latest market study, Filipinos consider two important factors when choosing their mobile network: first, mobile network experience, and second, value-for-money offers,” Smart First Vice President Lloyd Manaloto said.

“Earning the Best Mobile Network award from Ookla has given credibility to our network superiority claims, which we were able to maximize with our strategic brand campaigns. The Best Network Now allows our subscribers to Live More Today,” he added.

Presenting the award to Smart were Ookla Chief Operating Officer Shivani York and Ookla Chief Commercial Officer Shawn Heidel.

Smart said that enabling this level of performance is Smart’s 3G, 4G/LTE and 5G networks, which cover 97% of the country’s population.

Smart’s continuous improvement of its mobile network is aligned with the PLDT Group’s endeavors to anchor initiatives on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly on SDG No. 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

Catherine R. Cueto