Converge ICT beats other providers in Netflix’s ISP Speed Index Popular streaming service, Netflix, has long taken the Philippines by storm. With content ranging from animated movies perfect for kids andkids-at-heart, works from talented local filmmakers, to feel-good K-dramas, more and more Filipino subscribers are hooked to Netflix. As an online streaming service, availing a Netflix subscription and enjoying the millions of hours of its content, uninterrupted and in the highest possible quality, require a stable internet connection for subscribers to fully enjoy their viewing experience. Netflix’s ISP Speed Index is designed to measure which ISPs provide the best prime time Netflix streaming experience. Great quality streaming is synonymous with Netflix, the online streaming service has come up with its own index to reveal which ISP performs the best and can most likely let a subscriber best enjoy their time on Netflix. Read more about the Netflix ISP Speed Index here.
Why is this important? Because Netflix’s stories are best delivered on a strong internet network, which is not only about speed but also about latency, jitter and packet loss. Absent this, video viewers will have issues with buffering, pixelization, etc. Moreover, there is now a lot of 4K or UHD content on Netflix which provides a much better immersive viewing experience but requires more bandwidth. On its website, Netflix recommends a minimum of 25Mbps for 4K video which is very well supported
by Converge’s recent permanent free speed upgrades where its entry level P1,500 plan is now at 35Mbps from the previous 25Mbps. According to the December 2020 Netflix ISP Speed Index, the latest local iteration, Converge tops the board at 3.4 Mbps. Converge has been leading the Philippine ISP leaderboard for the last 6 months as can be seen from the ISP Leaderboard website.
Globe paves way for Our Lady of Manaoag devotees to continue pilgrimage, business online The Our Lady of Manaoag church in Pangasinan has welcomed hundreds of thousands of devotees. As the pandemic restricted movement decreasing the number of visitors on-site, Globe has paved the way for devotees and vendors in the area to continue their devotions and attend masses online, thanks to improved internet connectivity. The telco continues to upgrade its sites and improve its network infrastructure to fulfill its commitment to have a 4G LTE, 5G-ready network. “Nakakatulong — malakas ang naitutulong ng cell site kasi kahit nasaan ka, pwede kang mag manood, mag-misa kahit saan). (It helps — a cell site strongly helps because wherever you are, you may watch online masses anywhere),” said Dolores Villanueva, a Manaoag devotee and vendor, who is able to attend online masses even while watching over her shop. Globe’s aggressive network expansion, which included the upgrading of 10,876 sites to 4G/ LTE, has significantly improved the Philippines’ 4G experience even during peak hours. This was evident in a report of international mobile analytics firm Opensignal covering August to October 2020*, which showed the Globe network’s significant improvements in 4G Download Speeds, 4G Latency Experience and 4G Video Experience. 88
FEBRUARY 2021
Dolores Villanueva, Manaoag devotee
In terms of 4G Download Speeds, Opensignal found that Globe peaks at over 19 mbps with average 4G Download Speeds observed by users over the course of the day being more than sufficient for web browsing and apps usage. For Latency Experience, Globe is likewise inching closer to competition with its best score peaking at a low of 36ms (lower score is better) within the day. According to the report, Latency “is a measure of the time it takes for data packets to travel across the network between a user’s mobile phone and the servers that host mobile apps and websites.” Globe’s 4G Video Experience is likewise pulling up consistently with a maximum score of 50. 4G
Video Experience measures network quality for streaming HD or SD videos on platforms like Youtube and other video on demand apps. “Diretso ‘yung panonood ko. Umpisa hanggang sa matapos ang misa. (I can watch straight, from the start until the end of the mass),” added Villanueva. Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9 which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs. www.gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
