Smart Communications, the mobile unit of Philippines-based PLDT, had the fastest download and upload speeds in the country in the first half of the year, Ookla data showed.

The operator’s LTE network achieved an average download speed of 17.25Mb/s while its upload rate clocked in at 7.65Mb/s. Globe Telecom’s average download and upload rates were 11.1Mb/s and 5.1Mb/s respectively.

Comparing speeds in different parts of greater Manila, Smart also outpaced Globe in Makati and Quezon City. Curiously, Smart’s average download speed in Quezon City was nearly twice the rate of Makati (27.6Mb/s and 14.6Mb/s respectively). Globe’s speeds were more consistent in the two areas at 11.9Mb/s and 13.1Mb/s.

The results were based on 2.1 million user-initiated tests using Ookla’s Speedtest app on LTE-capable devices.

Despite modest gains over the past year, the Philippines continues to lag the world in mobile speeds, ranking 100th in Ookla’s tests in H1 2018 with an average download speed of 13.3Mb/s. At the same point in 2017 it was 99th with the download rate at 10.3Mb/s. The global average in June 2018 was 22.5Mb/s.