DITO Tel emerging as favorite network in tourist havens, study shows

DITO Telecommunity (DITO Tel) is emerging as the favored mobile network provider in top tourist destinations across the Philippines, according to a report from OpenSignal.

The data analytics company said DITO Tel bests telecom giants Smart Communications and Globe Telecom in a years-long hustle to establish dominance in the local industry.

Based on a study the results of which was released last week, OpenSignal found that the telco challenger came first in all metrics—download speed, upload speed, video, availability, consistent quality, and reliability—for mobile network experience across 13 cities.

However, OpenSignal clarified that DITO shared the top spot with either Globe or Smart in some categories, such as reliability and availability.

“The overall experience of our mobile users in the Philippines varies significantly between tourist destinations, which is often the result of the operators’ varied focus on their network investments,” it said.

When it comes to upload speed experience, which is essential for tourists who want to immediately share content online, DITO was the fastest and the sole service provider.

In terms of download speed, which is important when streaming videos or browsing websites, OpenSignal found that DITO’s network registered more than 55 megabits per second (Mbps), which is more than double Smart’s 27.3 Mbps and Globe’s 23.6 Mbps.

The report added that faster speed was especially evident in Makati and Cebu, both of which host a lot of foreign visitors, based on data from the Department of Tourism.

DITO tied with Smart as the providers with the best “reliability experience,” referring to connecting to the internet and completing basic tasks using the two networks.

OpenSignal also found that DITO, which was launched in 2021 to compete with Globe and Smart, dominated network preference in provinces with known tourist destinations—including Bohol, Boracay Island in Aklan, and El Nido in Palawan.DITO users in La Union reported the best performance, with an average download speed of 31.8 Mbps versus Smart’s 26.3 Mbps and Globe’s 21.5 Mbps.

OpenSignal reported that DITO was available in La Union, as one of the popular surfing destinations in the country, 98.8 percent of the time. This is better than Smart at 98.5 percent and Globe at 96.4 percent.

The company also noted, however, that Globe came first for two categories in Bohol, another province that is now seen as the favored beach destination over Boracay.

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The Ayala-led network provider was top-rated for consistent quality—47.4 percent versus DITO’s 38.8 percent and Smart’s 35.4 percent—and reliability, scoring 711 out of 1,000 against DITO’s 657 and Smart’s 597.

“The mobile network experience is essential for tourists in their holiday destinations—not just in terms of entertainment, social media and staying in touch, but also when it comes to emergencies,” OpenSignal said.

DITO’s parent company, DITO CME Holdings Corp., saw its losses balloon by more than 12 times to P4.11 billion in the first three months of the year on higher costs and expenses.

At the same time, revenues surged by 62 percent to P3.79 billion, with DITO Tel accounting for P3.25 billion.

Mobile data revenues also jumped by 39 percent to P2.55 billion as demand for internet connectivity grew. INQ