Smart has made a big move a few days ago by launching its most affordable 5G phone to date. With the ZTE Blade A75 5G priced at only Php 5.5k for the prepaid kit (it’s also available in postpaid as well), Smart wants to democratize 5G to all Filipinos so that they can make use of its expansive 5G network—which is claimed to have the broadest coverage in the Philippines. With that regard, we did a speed test using the Smart ZTE Blade A75 5G in different areas around Metro Manila and Central Luzon to see if Smart’s 5G coverage is any good.
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First area: Greenbelt, Makati
Makati is one of the key business districts in the Philippines, making it a must-check for speed tests with the newly-announced Smart ZTE Blade A75 5G. While it is one of the areas that has 5G, being a business districts also means that networks can get congested with the amount of people using the internet at the same time.
Doing the speed test at the heart of Greenbelt, we were getting download speeds of around 170Mbps and upload speeds of around 39Mbps. While it’s far from Smart’s claimed 5G speeds, those numbers are good enough for general use when you are within an area that has high foot traffic.
Second area: Guagua, Pampanga
We went for a out-of-town trip to Pampanga for a cultural and culinary journey, so it just macde sense to do a speed test with the Smart ZTE A75 5G in one of the rising destinations in Central Luzon. With 5G detected in the area, we were getting average download speeds of 140Mbps and upload speeds of 6.36Mbps.
Upload speeds aren’t that great, and this is indicative that Smart has yet to make full upgrades of its 5G infrastructure in parts of Central Luzon. Outside of that, the download speeds aren’t decent enough for gaming and video streaming.
Third area: NLEX
Those travelling by proud would usually have a stopover by the highway, so we did a 5G speed test at Shell of Asia in Guiguinto, Bulacan. Areas like this on the highway usually have high foot traffic, so your internet speeds may vary.
Based on our tests–which was performed at night–we got a download speed of 91.7Mbps and upload speeds of 28.8Mbps. Those may be far from 5G speeds, but considering we ere technically in the middle of nowhere–and most likely far from a Smart 5G tower–those speeds are acceptable for the average user.
Fourth area: Banawe, Quezon City
Our fourth test area, we visited one of the most busiest areas in Quezon City, where you have several restaurants, a hospital, and a residential area. Getting a good 5G signal in Banawe is challenging given how Smart’s towers can easily get congested, and our best test result got us download speeds of 269Mbps and upload speeds of 19.5Mbps.
Compared to our other tests, the download speeds we got in Banawe is the closest that one can get for 5G-like speeds–but you’ll have to take in consideration that internet speeds will still vary depending on the number of users within the area.
Initial thoughts on Smart’s 5G speeds and coverage
While the 167Mbps average download speeds we got is far from what 5G speeds should be, we should acknowledge that Smart’s 5G network has a wide coverage, and getting a 5G signal is much easier than ever. Add to the fact that Smart is offering a 5G-ready phone for under Php 6k further democratizes Filipinos’ access fo 5G connectivity.
Of course, there’s still room for improvement in terms of keeping the connection stable during peak hours, but it’s safe to say that Smart is on the right path on expanding its 5G coverage nationwide.
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