4G availability in Manila lowest in East Asia — report

MANILA, Philippines — Already being among key cities in East Asia that have the worst average 4G download and upload speeds, Manila is also at the bottom in the region when it comes to 4G availability, according to a new report from research firm OpenSignal.

The report said 4G availability in Manila ranked last among 12 cities in East Asia that represent a key business and economic hub in their respective countries.

The OpenSignal report examined data from a 90-day test period between March and May.

Of the 12 cities covered by the report, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh, and Manila recorded a 4G availability score of below 80 percent, with Manila posting the lowest score among the three countries.

Seoul ranked first with a 4G availability score of 97.9 percent, followed by Tokyo with 96.3 percent.

“The two leaders were some way ahead of the next city in our measurements,” OpenSignal said.

Bangkok came in at third with 92.1 percent 4G availability, followed by Hong Kong with a little over 90 percent rate.

Of the other cities measured, five were in the 80 percent to 90 percent range for LTE reach. These are Taipei, Singapore, Jakarta, Yangoon, and Kuala Lumpur.

In a report last month, OpenSignal also measured the average 4G download and upload speeds across 12 major cities in East Asia.

In the report, Manila’s 4G download speed was found to be at 16.9 megabits per second (Mbps) or below the global average. Phnom Penh and Jakarta were the slowest at an average 4.9 Mbps.

LTE is the type of 4G, or fourth generation mobile type of technology, that delivers faster connection for a mobile internet experience that is up to 10 times faster than 3G.