Smart dropped zero calls, Globe dropped 0.74%, and DITO dropped 2.82% — over the regulator's 2% limit — in the National Telecommunications Commission's (NTC) latest Metro Manila drive tests, and 29 of 142 speed test campaigns failed outright, putting all three carriers at risk of fresh sanctions, the Daily Tribune reported.
If you have been deciding which SIM deserves your main number, this is the closest thing to an official scorecard: measured in the field by the regulator itself, not by the telcos' own marketing.
How the NTC ran the tests
The NTC conducted the drive tests across Metro Manila — including routes in Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Pasig, and Taguig — using commercial 5G-capable smartphones fitted with the Rohde & Schwarz QualiPoc measurement tool, so the results reflect real-world conditions rather than lab figures. Representatives of Smart, Globe, and DITO were allowed to witness the methodology, per the Daily Tribune.
The scorecard: Smart vs Globe vs DITO
| Metric (NTC standard) | Smart | Globe | DITO |
|---|
| Dropped calls (below 2%) | 0% | 0.74% | 2.82% |
| SMS success (above 99%) | 92.94% | 99.41% | 98.82% |
| Peak download speed | 377 Mbps (Mandaluyong) | 381 Mbps (Mandaluyong) | 422 Mbps (Quezon City) |
| Lowest download speed | 6.32 Mbps (Mandaluyong–Taguig route) | 11.10 Mbps (Pasig) | No measurable signal (Cubao, QC) |
No network swept the board. DITO posted the single fastest reading — 422 Mbps along Bonny Serrano Avenue in Quezon City — but was the only operator to breach the dropped-call limit, and recorded no measurable download speed at all outside Farmers Market in Cubao. Globe was the only carrier to meet the 99% SMS success standard. Smart's perfect voice record came with the weakest text delivery of the three, at 92.94%.
29 failed tests and the threat of sanctions
Of the 142 mobile broadband test campaigns, 113 exceeded the NTC's 50 Mbps benchmark — which leaves 29 that fell short of prescribed standards. NTC Deputy Commissioner Andres Castelar expressed serious concern over the failing test points and said the deficiencies must be addressed immediately. The tests follow show-cause orders the regulator had already issued to the operators, and the NTC warned that more could follow if networks keep failing as testing continues across the National Capital Region.
Smart's streak, with an asterisk
Smart leaned on the zero-dropped-calls result as proof of a stable voice network, a claim first reported by Technobaboy alongside the carrier's other recent citations: a "Good" rating of 80.3 and a 52.22 Mbps average download speed in the DICT's September 2026 Oplan Bantay Signal report — its fifth straight month on top, according to Gadget Pilipinas — plus Ookla's Best Mobile Video Experience award for the first half of 2026, with a video score of 72.82. The asterisk is in the table above: the same drive tests caught Smart delivering barely 93 of every 100 text messages, the worst SMS result of the three.
Which network should you pick?
The honest answer from this round of tests is that it depends on what you use your phone for. If voice calls are your lifeline, Smart's 0% drop rate is the standout. If SMS matters — and it does, because banks and e-wallets still send one-time passwords by text — Globe was the only network to meet the 99% delivery standard. DITO can be blisteringly fast at its best and was the cheapest way to a 400-Mbps reading, but it was also the only carrier to fail the call-drop test and the only one with a measured dead spot.
Two caveats before switching SIMs: these are Metro Manila results on specific routes, so they say little about provinces, and a single drive test is a snapshot, not a year of service. The NTC says testing will continue across the capital region. If your real problem is home internet rather than mobile signal, start instead with our guide on fiber versus 5G home Wi-Fi in the Philippines.
