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Is DITO Smart or Globe? Neither: DITO is its own network

Updated 3 Sep 2026 · 1 min read

Neither. DITO Telecommunity is the Philippines’ third mobile network operator, chosen by the government in 2018 as the “new major player” and commercially launched on 8 March 2021. It is not a brand of Globe or Smart; it builds and runs its own cell sites, with China Telecom as its technology partner. Calling a DITO number from Globe or Smart is off-net.

Why people assume DITO is under Smart or Globe

For twenty years there were only two networks, and every brand people knew (TM, TNT, Sun, GOMO) turned out to belong to one of them. DITO broke that pattern. The other reason is number portability: many DITO subscribers ported a 0917 or 0918 number, so their number “looks” Globe or Smart while their SIM is DITO.

DITO prefixes

DITO launched on the 089X range, which no operator had used before: 0895, 0896, 0897, 0898. It was later allocated 099X blocks: 0991, 0993 and 0994. Some lists also put 0992 under DITO; that block is being verified against the NTC allocation. See all DITO prefixes.

What being a separate network changes

• Promos. DITO sells its own bundles through the DITO app. Globe and Smart on-net promos do not cover DITO numbers.
• Coverage. DITO’s footprint is strongest in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao and is still expanding; check the DITO coverage map for your area rather than assuming Globe or Smart signal applies.
• Phones. DITO is 4G LTE and 5G only, with no 2G or 3G fallback, so very old phones cannot use it.
• Registration. DITO SIMs register through the DITO app.