[Battle of the Brands] How to Choose Between Smart vs Globe vs DITO

Connectivity is a major currency in this era. Everyone depends on their mobile phones and computers to attend classes, talk to clients, and reconnect with their loved ones from the other side of the world. Taking this reality into account, the importance of telecommunications companies can’t be underscored enough.

In the Philippines, there are three major telcos: Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and DITO Telecommunity. Each of them offers services that appeal to a wide range of users. But which mobile network suits your budget and lifestyle best? 

You’ll find that out in this edition of Battle of the Brands. We’ll be pitting Smart vs Globe vs DITO. Let’s start! 

Brief Background: Smart vs Globe vs DITO 

Before you dive right into this brand battle, get to know the contenders. 

📶 Smart

Owned by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Smart Communications, Inc. or Smart is one of the major providers of wireless and digital services in the country. It’s also the parent company of Talk ‘N Text (TNT), a telco that specializes in low-cost services. 

As of 2022, Smart has over 66 million subscribers across Smart master brand and TNT. 

📶 Globe

Founded in 1935 as Globe Wireless Limited, Globe Telecom, Inc. or Globe is the country’s biggest telecommunications company when it comes to market capitalization. Two of its major owners are Ayala Corporation and Singapore Telecommunications Limited or Singtel). As of 2022, Globe has more than 87 million subscribers.

Are Globe and TM the same? Practically, yes. This is because TM is owned by Globe. The difference between the two is that Globe has a broad target market while TM focuses on low-income groups. 

📶 DITO

Formerly known as Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company, Inc. or MISLATEL, DITO Telecommunity or DITO is the country’s third major telco player. As of 2023, the company has more than 13 million subscribers

What network is DITO? Is DITO Globe or Smart? DITO is actually a company owned by Udenna Corporation and China Telecommunications, a state-owned telco and China’s third-largest provider of mobile telecommunication services.

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: Prepaid Services 

Prepaid services are among the foundations of a telco’s business. Here are the three company’s offerings and their corresponding rates.  

👉 Prepaid Rates

All networks have almost identical services. But what breaks the competition are the roaming rates. 

Smart and DITO have the cheapest text roaming rates. DITO’s international call rates, however, are the most expensive. 

Winner: Smart

👉 Call-Text-Data Promos

Both service rates of Smart and Globe in this category target subscribers with smaller budgets. DITO’s offerings may look expensive, but if you look at the big picture, you can actually save a lot of money. This is especially true if you’re a big data user or you share your data with your family and friends. 

If you pit DITO vs Smart, the former stands out. For one, your ₱99 with DITO comes with more services which are valid for 30 days compared with Smart’s promo of the same price. 

Unused DITO data will be carried over to the next month if you resubscribe to your existing Level-Up promo before it expires. Moreover, DITO’s Level-Up offerings let you enjoy unlimited video calls as long as the person you’re contacting is a DITO subscriber. 

Winner: DITO

👉 Data-Only Promos

DITO’s data-only promo starts from ₱10 to ₱50 with validity reaching up to seven days. Smart’s offerings, on the other hand, start from ₱50 to 499 with a validity of up to 30 days. 

With diverse offerings and generous data allowance, Globe is a clear winner in this round. You can already connect to the internet for only ₱15, but you can enjoy more data-related privileges if you subscribe to high-tier promos. 

Promos starting from ₱299 not only provide subscribers with the network’s main data service but also with a daily 10GB data allowance for their choice of apps. Eligible apps include YouTube, Netflix, Mobile Legends, Facebook, Spotify, and more.^[1]

You can also enjoy 1GB of GoWiFi at malls and other public spaces.  

Winner: Globe 

Read more: The Best Unlimited Data Plans in the Philippines

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: Postpaid Services

When it comes to postpaid services, it used to be Globe vs Smart. But this 2023, DITO joins the race with its range of postpaid plans.^[2] 

Check out the Smart vs Globe vs DITO table of comparison to help you pick the best postpaid service for you.

👉 SIM-Only Postpaid Plans

While DITO’s inventory of postpaid SIM-only plans is rather limited, it still offers generous data and basic services like unlimited calls and texts. DITO’s Advance Pay program also lets you save up to 40% when you pay your monthly fees in advance.

In case you’re choosing between Globe vs Smart postpaid, you’ll find that the former’s offerings are more diverse. Globe’s plans come with value-added services, such as free WiFi access, rewards points, and data-to-points conversion. Certain packages also come with GCash credits (one-time credit) that you can use for your online and offline purchases. 

Winner: Globe 

👉 Postpaid Plans with Device

As far as call and text combos are concerned, this round is clearly a Globe vs Smart face-off. Both offer landline calls, but Globe offers unlimited usage of the same service. 

Globe is this segment’s ultimate winner, thanks to its loaded plans that even include a rewards system and free access to GoWifi. 

Winner: Globe 

Read more: Getting a Postpaid Plan in the Philippines: Best Offers to Check Out

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: Overall Availability

This category is an almost cut-throat competition between DITO sim vs Smart sim. The April 2023 Mobile Network Experience Report by OpenSignal shows that DITO comes out on top with a score of 98.7%. Smart comes second with a score of 96.7% while Globe lags behind, albeit with a still relatively high score. 

DITO’s score shows that its subscribers have consistent and reliable access to its services in locations that they frequent. 

Winner: DITO 

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: 5G Availability

Is Smart better than Globe? In terms of 5G availability, yes. Smart is ahead of Globe by 6.7%. According to OpenSignal, Smart is still the only Filipino network provider to receive the 5G Availability award. 

Winner: Smart  

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: 5G Reach

This metric measures the extent and coverage of a network’s 5G service. So the higher the score, the more places a network’s 5G service reaches. 

Smart ranks first with a score of 4.7 points on a 10-point scale system. Globe takes the second spot with four points. 

Winner: Smart  

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: Core Consistent Quality

Consistent quality refers to how often a network sufficiently supports mobile application requirements. It encompasses download speed, upload speed, jitter, and packet loss, among others. For this metric, certain app activities are tested, such as email, web browsing, photo sharing, and video streaming. 

With a score of 79.9%, DITO proves to be the top player in this segment. Globe ranks second while Smart lands the third spot, both with scores above 75%. 

Winner: DITO  

Read more: Goodbye Lag: How to Control Bandwidth for Internet Speed

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: Mobile Download Speed

This is a tight competition between DITO vs Smart. Both service providers have download speeds exceeding 20Mbps while Globe only churns out 16.2Mbps. In the end, Smart emerges victorious. 

On top of dominating the general mobile download speed segment, Smart also boasts an impressive score for 5G download speed. 

Winner: Smart 

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: Mobile Upload Speed

In OpenSignal’s October 2022 report,^[3] DITO bagged the Upload Speed Experience award with a speed of 4.4Mbps. DITO then won the same award in April 2023—but with a faster speed this time at 5.2Mbps. 

Globe comes second with a speed of 4.4Mbps. Meanwhile, Smart is only 0.2Mbps behind Globe. 

Winner: DITO

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: Mobile Video Experience

Video quality is another important parameter when judging a network provider’s performance. Is Globe better than Smart? For this category, Globe wins outright with 58.2 points out of 100 points. In other words, Globe subscribers have the best experience when streaming videos using data. 

DITO ranks second with 56.2 points while Smart lands the third spot with 52.9 points. 

Winner: Globe 

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: Mobile Games Experience

Which is the best network for gamers? According to OpenSignal, Globe subscribers have the best multiplayer mobile game experience. Globe boasts a score of 58.8 points on a 100-point scale.  

Globe took the crown from Smart who dominated this segment with 54.4 points in OpenSignal’s October 2022 report. Nevertheless, Smart has proven to be a formidable competitor this year with a score of 57.6 points.

Winner: Globe

Smart vs Globe vs DITO: Mobile Voice App Experience

The competition is tough in this area, as the three networks’ scores are neck and neck. However, Globe leads the race with a score of 75.5 points out of 100 points. Globe’s 5G users also reportedly have the best data-enabled voice app experience. 

Close by are Smart with 74.7 points and DITO with 74.3 points. Overall, the scores of the three network providers show that their subscribers are satisfied with their mobile voice app experience. 

Winner: Globe

Smart vs Globe vs DITO Final Tally

So who wins this edition of Battle of the Brands? Check out this tally: 

Reigning supreme in six areas, Globe is the ultimate winner of this Battle of the Brands. It eclipses Smart and DITO when it comes to data-only promos, postpaid plans, video experience, games experience, and voice experience. 

Smart and DITO dominate two areas of the prepaid service segment. Smart offers the best prepaid rates while DITO boasts cost-effective call-text-data promos. 

Which has faster internet: Globe or Smart or DITO? Smart and DITO excel in this area with the former nabbing the fastest download speed title and the latter bagging the fastest upload speed recognition. 

Furthermore, Smart and DITO prove to be the most reliable networks. For overall availability and consistency, DITO is the clear winner. Meanwhile, Smart is the 5G service leader—it reaches more territories and is more reliable than the other operators. 

Final Thoughts

This has been an interesting Battle of the Brands featuring the three major telco players: Smart vs Globe vs DITO. Everyone is at the top of their game, and each of them excels in particular fields. 

The dynamics of the competition indeed changed with DITO’s foray into the industry. However, knowing that both Globe and Smart have solid and loyal customer bases, the newest telco player has to keep up with the former duopoly. 

Will you stay with your current network or make the switch? If you want to find out which telco offers the most practical and cost-effective services, you can always subscribe to the three networks. Doing so will give you first-hand experience that will eventually help you determine the network that suits your lifestyle best.  

Sources: 

• ^[1] GoSurf Promo Eligible Apps
• ^[2] DITO Sets Launch of Postpaid Plans, Enterprise Business (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2023)
• ^[3] OpenSignal Mobile Network Experience Report – October 2022