Philippines still lags behind in 5G connectivity worldwide — study

The Philippines, which has been seeing more investments in digital infrastructure, remains a laggard in terms of 5G connectivity in the world, according to a study by connectivity solutions company Airgain.

In its Emerging Digital Powerhouse Index report, the American company placed the Philippines at the 33rd rank out of 37 surveyed countries after scoring 174 points.

In contrast, the top scorer United Arab Emirates obtained 440 points, followed by Finland with 431, South Korea with 407, United States with 406 and Denmark with 405.

Completing the top 10 are Qatar, 401; Singapore, 393; Norway, 390; Netherlands, 383; and Australia, 377.

Meanwhile, trailing behind Philippines are Mexico with 170 points; South Africa, 138; Indonesia, 135; and Nigeria, 0.

READ: 5G seen to supercharge Pinoys’ digital adoption

For the study, Airgain looked into the average internet speeds, mobile penetration, digital skills and the rate of 5G deployment.

“The Philippines has had its own economic challenges and there is a great deal of work happening to improve its digital standing, so we hope it will rank much higher in the data in years to come,” Airgain chief technology officer Ali Sadri said.

According to a report by mobile insights firm GSMA, 5G adoption in the Philippines is estimated to rise from just 6 percent in 2023 to 46 percent in 2030 as telco players invest in putting up more infrastructure. This means nearly half of the Filipino population is expected to tap 5G when accessing the internet.

With this growth, 4G penetration is expected to go down from 80 percent to 51 percent in the same period.

Globe Telecom Inc. deployed an additional 378 5G sites as of September. As a result, the 5G coverage in the National Capital Region has reached 98.51 percent. 5G, which enables faster internet connection, is also now available in 94.91 percent of key cities in the Visayas and Mindanao.

PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. has a combined 5G and 4G network available to 97 percent of the population.

In August, it introduced a 5G-enabled mobile device—priced lower than most of the available phones in the market—with global information and communications technology company ZTE to grow its 5G subscriber base.

DITO Telecommunity, meanwhile, has 2,000 cell sites offering 5G connection across the country.

The 5G technology enables download rates of more than 10 gigabits per second, which is 100 times quicker than 4G.

“Access to fast, reliable internet is a game-changer for any population. It doesn’t just boost connectivity—it fuels the knowledge economy, which now accounts for roughly 50 percent of global economic activity,” Sadri said.