Smart rebounds in Q4 with higher ARPU, 5G adoption

Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), the wireless arm of PLDT Inc., ended 2025 on a stronger note after posting a 5% quarter-on-quarter revenue growth in the fourth quarter, signaling a turnaround in its wireless business following softer performance earlier in the year.

The improvement followed a 2% revenue decline at the end of Q1 2025, as Smart focused on value-led growth supported by targeted customer initiatives and sustained network investments.

Fourth-quarter performance was primarily driven by higher Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), reflecting the company’s adoption of personalized digital offers aimed at improving customer engagement across its major brands: Smart Prepaid recorded a 5% sequential ARPU increase during the period, while its mass-market brand TNT posted a 3% uplift.

Subscriber momentum also improved, with Smart recording 606,079 net additions in the fourth quarter while maintaining churn at 2.5% by end-2025.

Network investments and expanding 5G adoption continued to support performance gains. Smart’s network supported 11.2 million 5G-latched devices as of end-2025, representing a 35% increase year-on-year. Greater availability of more affordable 5G smartphones accelerated adoption, driving an 88% surge in 5G data traffic.

Fixed Wireless Access revenues grew 22% to P1.8 billion for the full year, reflecting rising adoption of affordable 5G wireless routers.

Smart further reinforced its network performance by bagging the 'Best Mobile Latency' recognition from Ookla, a global leader in network intelligence and connectivity insights, based on data from the first half of 2025. This highlights improvements in network responsiveness for everyday digital activities such as livestreaming, mobile gaming, video calling, and mobile payments.

“Our 2025 results reflect solid progress in strengthening customer value while sustaining investments in network quality. We exited the year with improving momentum, positioning Smart for more sustainable growth moving forward," said Lloyd Manaloto, FVP and co-officer-in-charge of Smart.

Smart added that accelerating 5G usage and rising device penetration are beginning to unlock new sources of data demand.

“As 5G adoption continues to scale, our focus remains on delivering reliable, high-quality connectivity for Filipinos while supporting the country’s growing digital economy,” said Marjorie Garrovillo, FVP and co-officer-in-charge of Smart.

Building on its fourth-quarter momentum, Smart said it remains optimistic about its growth outlook for 2026, supported by continued network investments and expanding digital services.