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TECHNOLOGY

5G in PH rising, says connectivity insights provider Ookla

Fifth generation (5G) mobile networks are making significant advances in the Philippines, according to the global leader in network intelligence and connectivity insights provider, Ookla.

Most Philippine operators, according to a report by Ookla, launched 5G mobile networks in 2020 shortly after Thai operators did.

Smart, one of the major Philippine telecommunications service providers, launched 5G technology in June 2019 for fixed wireless units and launched the same for mobile subscribers in February 2020 in Metro Manila.

Globe, another major service provider in the Philippines launched 5G in July 2020, originally targeting subscribers in Metro Manila who had 5G-capable devices.

Both operators used spectrum in the 3,500 megahertz band, which is considered as the “sweet spot” in terms of 5G network capacity and coverage.

Ookla data showed that Smart recorded a median download speed of 200.43 mbps and 19.67 mbps upload speed in the first quarter of 2022. These were way ahead of Globe which registered median download speeds of 121.29 mbps and upload speeds of 9.93 mbps.

Availability of 5G nationwide, Ookla said, nearly doubled in just one year—from 9.4 percent coverage in the first quarter of 2021 to 18.1 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

“Part of this is related to the easing of right-of-way (ROW) rules,” said Ookla.

New ROW rules, enforced by the Department of Public Works and Highways in March 2021, lifted the ban on construction of critical infrastructure, particularly cell sites, along national roads.

Another reason for improvements in both 4G and 5G developments was the active involvement of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in allowing more telcos to enter the playing field.

“A third player was introduced to the market to add competition, improve network performance and reduce prices in the market,” said Ookla in its report.

The way was paved for the entry of the third player by the NTC and Department of Information and Communications Technology which declared Dito (then Mislatel) as the new major telco player.

According to Ookla, the Philippines was not the only country to benefit from ROW reforms. India made the same move in October 2021, or eight months after the Philippines did.

In the Philippines, Smart reached 25.5 percent 5G coverage in the first quarter of 2022 Globe reached 15.3 percent coverage. Ookla attributed this to “spectrum deployment strategies” of each company.

Smart had 1.6 million connected 5G devices to its network in the first quarter of 2022, or more than triple its level—376,000—in the first quarter of 2021. Globe, by end of March 2022, had more than 2 million devices connected to 5G.

Ookla noted that plans of both telcos to further invest in 5G bodes well for the spread of the technology, which delivers faster connection to the internet.

Smart is investing up to P85 billion in 5G rollout nationwide which started in December 2021. Smart’s mobile data traffic grew 30 percent year-on-year to 1,010 petabytes while the number of 5G base stations rose to 7,300 in February 2022 from just 5,000 in 2020, corresponding to a 5G population of 66 percent.

Globe added 390 sites in just the first three months of 2022, extending 5G network reach to 95 percent of the National Capital Region and 85 percent of key cities in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Globe spent at least P92.8 billion to build 2,000 outdoor 5G sites and in-building solutions, 1,407 new cell sites and 1.4 million fiber lines.

Dito, the third Philippine telco, has partnered with hardware supplier Nokia to deploy 5G services in Mindanao in May 2021. In March 2022, this telco rolled out 5G home wi-fi services with 145 Metro Manila villages as pilot areas.

Villages in the cities of Manila, Caloocan and Quezon would be the first to benefit from 500 mbps of download speeds. Tests involving 5G in Caloocan showed download speeds of 512.66 mbps in the first quarter of this year.

TECHNOLOGY

HUAWEI’s 4-in-1 flagship tablet, HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max: Pre-order now to enjoy P39,595 worth of freebies

7:11 a.m. August 18, 2026

As the no. 1 tablet brand in the Philippines, HUAWEI empowers Filipino creators and professionals with the launch of the HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max. Users nationwide can pre-order the thinnest, lightest 13-inch+, PC-level productivity tablet and secure massive premium freebies until August 19.

The HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max minimizes limits so users can define every moment of mobile productivity and artistic creation. It brings together top-tier industrial design, an immersive display, and AI assistant capabilities to push the boundaries of what large-screen tablets can achieve.

4-in-1 PC-Level Portability and AI-Powered Productivity

The HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max delivers the ultimate 4-in-1 PC-like experience, designed to adapt effortlessly to everyday situations across work, entertainment, study, and creative pursuits. It simplifies daily tasks with the upgraded PC-Level WPS Office and the new WPS AI suite, which intelligently suggests topics, refines text, and extracts key points to create presentations. The software also uses real-time multi-device collaboration, allowing teams to edit and sync files instantly using shared links and multi-level permissions.

Showcasing top-tier portable industrial design, the HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max features the HUAWEI Cloud Falcon Architecture integrated into a full-metal unibody. This structure enables an ultra-slim profile at just 4.7 mm, while keeping the device ultra-light at just 499 g. The tablet is designed to improve overall bending resistance by 60%, earning it the industry’s first TÜV Rheinland Ultra-Thin Bending Resistance Certification. Performance is driven by a 10,400 mAh battery that delivers up to 14.5 hours of video playback, alongside the 40 W reverse SuperCharge and Live Multitask features that can run three apps simultaneously.

Complementing this is the 439 g high-strength alloy HUAWEI Glide Keyboard that folds and connects to the tablet like a laptop. Designed with a magnetic flexible hinge, the keyboard opens effortlessly in a single motion, while an integrated hidden slot stores and charges the stylus. It also features second-generation keycaps with three times greater resistance against wear and stains.

The HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max is available in a sleek Blue variant that draws inspiration from the interplay of light on sunlit water. Its luminous finish uses a nano-scale coating that creates dynamic, rippled visual effects across the metallic surface. The exclusive PaperMatte Edition weighs 509 g, making it the thinnest and lightest 13-inch+ tablet available.

Eye-Comforting, Immersive, and Flexible PaperMatte Display

The HUAWEI MatePad Pro Max features a 13.2-inch 3K flexible OLED display with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, maintaining clarity under bright lighting. The screen supports a 144 Hz refresh rate that renders fast motion and accurate colors smoothly. The exclusive PaperMatte Edition applies a nano-level etching process that improves clarity by 20%, earning it the TÜV Rheinland Full Care Display 5.0 Certification. To maximize the viewing area, the tablet’s top-tier industrial design has a 94% screen-to-body ratio and narrow 3.55 mm bezels. 


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TECHNOLOGY

Sophos announces partnership with OpenAI to bring Frontier AI to the Channel

9:19 a.m. August 14, 2026

Sophos, a global cybersecurity leader, announced a partnership with OpenAI to bring OpenAI frontier models to managed service providers (MSPs) through Sophos Fusion,  the industry’s most complete AI-native Cybersecurity Defense System.

Through this partnership, Sophos intends to give partners a new way to deliver frontier AI security as one connected defense system, and to build recurring services on top of it.

Sophos Fusion is built on a single, open architecture where every control point operates as one, whether native to Sophos or a third-party integration. The partnership will extend that open model, with a focus on bringing OpenAI frontier models into a cyber defense system that already connects endpoint, network, email, cloud, identity, and security operations, and compounds intelligence from every threat it encounters. For MSPs, that means frontier AI arrives inside the defense system they already run, not as another tool to wire in themselves.

In addition to applying frontier AI to strengthen defense, Sophos is also defending the AI that organizations increasingly adopt. Through Sophos AI Defense, available for early access in August 2026, Sophos gives organizations visibility into how AI and shadow AI is used across their environment, enforces policy on that usage, and helps govern how sensitive data is used across AI models and tools. Sophos intends to expand this protection with OpenAI, securing the AI workloads, data, and usage that organizations increasingly depend on as part of one connected defense system.

The partnership builds on an established relationship between Sophos and OpenAI through the OpenAI Daybreak Cyber Partner Program. Through Daybreak, OpenAI works with leading cybersecurity companies to develop practical, governed solutions for defenders, building new workflows, integrating frontier capabilities, and helping security teams identify, validate and remediate threats faster. This partnership deepens that work with a dedicated focus on the MSPs that deliver security to organizations worldwide, and reflects Sophos’ commitment to an open architecture that brings best-of-breed technologies into one defense system.

“Frontier AI only protects organizations at scale when you have the architecture to operationalize it and the reach to deliver it,” said John Peterson, chief technology officer, Sophos. “Sophos Fusion will give OpenAI models a defense system to work inside: connected control points, shared context, and human accountability. Our channel gives them reach through a global network of more than 25,000 partners, including over 7,000 MSPs. For those partners, it opens a new class of AI security services to build a business on. That is how frontier AI reaches the organizations that need it most.”

MSPs are uniquely positioned to turn frontier cyber capabilities into practical security outcomes because they understand their customers’ environments and already operate the workflows organizations rely on. Sophos Fusion supports that work by connecting endpoint, network, email, cloud, identity and security operations in one coordinated defense system. By pairing that foundation with OpenAI’s frontier capabilities, Sophos plans to help approved partners enhance detection, investigation, and response and develop new services tailored to their customers’ needs.

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TECHNOLOGY

TECNO MEGAPAD 2 Launches in PH: An 11-inch 2.5K Eye-Care AI tablet for learning and productivity

12:57 p.m. August 2, 2026

TECNO, an AI-powered innovative technology brand, announced today the official launch of the TECNO MEGAPAD 2 in the Philippines. Unveiled globally at MWC 2026, the new tablet combines an 11-inch 2.5K eye-care display, practical AI tools, seamless cross-device connectivity, and a slim metal design in one versatile device.

Designed as a tablet that users can start learning and working on immediately after bringing it home, MEGAPAD 2 delivers an out-of-the-box experience without requiring separately purchased accessories. Its thin and lightweight design, internet connectivity, typing capability, and intelligent productivity features help students and young users turn fragmented moments into meaningful study and task-completion time.

Every MEGAPAD 2 purchase in the Philippines comes with one free Bluetooth keyboard, making it ready for learning, note-taking, content creation, and everyday productivity from day one.

Eye-Care Display in Slim Design

TECNO MEGAPAD 2 features an 11-inch 2.5K display with a 90Hz refresh rate and has obtained TÜV Rheinland Flicker-Free and Low Blue Light certification. It delivers clear visuals and eye comfort for long study sessions, reading, and entertainment. Packaged in a 6.6mm ultra-slim body, it is lightweight, easy to grip, and highly portable.

AI for Smarter Learning and Daily Convenience

For learning and education, the study hub in MEGAPAD 2 is designed to support different study needs across ages and scenarios. Children can explore LearnUp Massive Free Learning Resources, gaining access to a wide range of educational and interest-based content. Meanwhile, parents can customize parental controls that help create a safer online environment for children. When students encounter difficult questions, Photo-based Problem Solving can identify problems and encourage their independent thinking.

In everyday life, MEGAPAD 2 serves as a smart companion for multiple uses. With AI SnapMemo & MindHub, users can quickly capture and organize useful information into a personalized knowledge hub. AI Drawing Board turns simple sketches into vivid images, bringing ideas to life instantly. For entertainment, AI Captions provide clear subtitle support across apps, helping users enjoy content in different languages. With AI Translation, users can translate photos, selected text, social media content, and face-to-face conversations in up to 160 languages.

Seamless Connectivity and Collaboration

As the first tablet launched following the update of TECNO’s OneLeap platform, MEGAPAD 2 can easily connect with other products in TECNO ecosystem by drag-and-drop or one-tap pairing. MEGAPAD 2 supports file sharing, photo sharing, and triple-screen collaboration among TECNO smartphones, laptops, and the tablet. It can also connect to a TECNO smartphone or laptop as an extended screen for a larger workspace. When paired with a smartphone, phone calls, messages, and notifications can be synced to the tablet, allowing users to answer calls directly without reaching for the phone.

Reliable Performance

In terms of performance, TECNO MEGAPAD 2 is powered by a MediaTek Helio 8-Core Processor, delivering an excellent balance between power and efficiency. Available with 12GB (6GB+6GB) or 16GB (8GB+8GB) of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage, it also supports microSD expansion up to 2TB. Running HiOS 16, MEGAPAD 2 delivers a smarter interface and a responsive experience for everyday applications and multitasking, while also offering comprehensive protection for privacy, account security, and safer payments.

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