While major telco providers are beginning to roll out Home 5G WiFi services in the Philippines, things are not looking great when it comes to 5G performance.
In Opensignal’s report for the first quarter of 2025, the Philippines fell four places to 75 in the global leaderboard, making it rank behind other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand (63), Indonesia (58), Vietnam (44), Malaysia (38)and Singapore (10). To make things worse, the 5G speeds in the Philippines declined by 9.3Mbps, though 4G speeds improved slightly by 1.5Mbps.The Philippines also declined by 1 rank in 4G/5G availability and by 2 ranks in Excellent Consistent Quality.
In a November 2024 report by Ericsson Mobility, 5G adoption in the Philippines is slow despite better coverage because of “limited data consumption and penetration”. This is evident, as telcos using newer 5G SA tech (like Smart and TNT’s 5G Max service) have limited area coverage, at least for now.
Smart, for their part, is looking to expand their 5G coverage in 2025 beyond Bonifacio Global City and major event venues like Araneta Coliseum, Philippine Arena, and Mall of Asia Arena. “The PLDT Group’s continued investments in enhancing its integrated network, including its robust 5G infrastructure, is aligned with the group’s commitment to deliver leveled-up customer experience across the country,” Smart Chief Operating Officer Anastiacio Martirez said.
