1. [20 September 2012] Yesterday, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)
confirmed the network superiority of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) following the
release of the results of its network quality tests for the second quarter of this year
which showed Smart posting significantly better test results than Globe Telecom.
Globe, however, issued a statement that attempted to turn the results of the NTC'S
Quality of Service Benchmarking Test upside down.
According to that test, Smart’s network rated higher in four of the five parameters that
had been defined by the NTC in consultation with all three mobile phone operators.
These four important parameters where Smart posted better scores are: 1) Drop Call
Rate; 2) Call Set Up Time; 3) Average Signal Quality; and 4) Average Receive Signal Level.
In its statement, however, Globe conveniently downplayed or disregarded these
parameters and focused on the “blocked call” parameter, which was the only test that
showed better results for Globe. On that basis, Globe said that its “legacy network” was
better than that of Smart.
This is the same legacy network that Globe officials have admitted, in several recent
occasions, to be congested.
This selective reading of the test results defies arithmetic, and, more importantly, flies in
the face of consumer experience.
Globe’s press statement also contains a substantive misinterpretation of the test results
in one of the key parameters – the Average Receive Signal Level. Globe said in its
statement that: “The final metric is the Average Receive Signal Level with a minimum
acceptable range of -85 dBm. Both telcos did not make it to the standard.”

2. The truth, however, is quite different: Both carriers actually passed the standard. Globe
registered a score of -69.83 dBm. But Smart delivered lopsidedly better results: -62.63
dBm. In this parameter, the lower the negative number is, the better the signal.
Translated into layman’s terms, what this result means is that Smart’s signal level is up
to five times stronger than Globe’s. In terms of customer experience, a stronger signal
level means better indoor coverage, resulting in better voice quality, less drop calls,
faster and more reliable SMS and higher data speeds.
Though we are encouraged by the NTC test which validates our network superiority,
Smart continues to work hard in order to provide our customers superior service. By
completing our network transformation in mid-2012, we are now moving on to deliver
to our subscribers next generation services such as the Long Term Evolution, or LTE.
This is vital because we realize that, in the end, it is the satisfaction and judgment of our
customers that really matter. [END]