internet connection in the philippines essay

A Study on The Internet Connectivity in The Philippines

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The Evolving Internet Landscape in the Philippines

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As the nation continues to embrace digitalization and connection, the Philippines' online environment has seen considerable changes recently. World Bank data show that in 2020, almost 50% of the population used the internet, which, compared to the lead-up years, represents a continually increasing internet usage rate in the Philippines.

Despite this growing demand for internet access, the quality of internet connectivity in the Philippines remains a major concern. According to the recent Speedtest Global Index, the country's average broadband internet speed of 90.57 Mbps is ranked 41 st in the world. Moreover, internet connectivity in rural and remote areas is often slow and unreliable, limiting their access to digital services and thus hindering their development.

The Philippines has invested heavily in building out its internet backbone in terms of infrastructure, with major telecom providers like PLDT, Globe Telecom and Converge ICT expanding their fiber optic networks to bring high-speed internet connectivity to more regions of the nation.

In 2022, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) approved the registration of Starlink, a satellite internet service offered by SpaceX. The Philippines is the first country in Southeast Asia to have the Starlink service. In a statement, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said: “The NTC is steadfast in helping ensure that roll-out of Starlink’s internet access services will be done expeditiously and professionally.”

On February 22, SpaceX announced that the internet service is now live in the Philippines. According to a statement by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Starlink has 3,580 operational satellites so far. But the company aims to have as many as 40,000 satellites operating in the future.

That being said, only a small number of clients in the Philippines will initially have access to Starlink. The service is still in its early stages, so it might take some time before it is generally accessible throughout the nation.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy is optimistic that the additional player in the country’s internet landscape “will be a gamechanger.” Starlink is expected to augment and complement existing broadband capacities, enabling faster broadband speed and better connectivity, particularly in areas where connectivity has been difficult or impossible.

Mr. Uy noted, “In welcoming this new technology that is Starlink, our BroadBand ng Masa can now provide free high-speed internet access to our geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in the Philippines, ensuring that no Filipino will be left behind.”

When operational, Starlink is expected to provide remote locations in the country without traditional internet infrastructure access to high-speed internet connectivity. Filipinos living in rural and isolated places, who have long struggled with poor and inconsistent internet connectivity, have been optimistic about the new service and its possibilities.

Starlink works by deploying a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which communicate with ground stations and user terminals to provide internet connectivity. The service offers speeds of up to 200 Mbps, which is significantly faster than the average internet speed in the Philippines. Moreover, Starlink claims to provide internet connectivity with low latency, which is important for applications such as online gaming and video conferencing.

However, the service comes with a hefty price tag, which may limit its accessibility to many Filipinos. Starlink charges an upfront fee of around $520 (₱ 29,320) for the user terminal, which is required to access the service, as well as a monthly subscription fee of around $49 (₱2,700) after an initial 30-day free trial. While this may be affordable for some, it may be too expensive for many Filipinos, particularly those living in rural and remote areas.

DICT Secretary Uy said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency, “These things do not need to be in individual homes; they can be shared by the community. I think that is strategic.”

The addition of Starlink also increases competition among internet service providers in the Philippines. Currently, the market is dominated by major telecom providers such as PLDT, Globe Telecom and Converge ICT. However, with the entry of Starlink, these providers may face increased pressure to improve their internet services and prices in order to remain competitive.

In the Philippines, digitization and innovation can be accelerated with better internet connectivity. Businesses may grow their digital services and reach new markets with quicker, more dependable internet. More students having access to online learning resources can also improve their online education. Additionally, it is possible to speed up the development of cutting-edge ideas and technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence that require high-speed internet connectivity. Numerous benefits await as the nation strives for more connectivity.

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The next steps for enhancing connectivity in the Philippines

Globe exec tackles the country’s connectivity issues.

The ongoing pandemic has revealed a lot of realizations on our end, among them the ever-increasing need for connectivity, especially as working and learning have shifted to online for most Filipinos.

Meeting such demands requires an improved Internet infrastructure, enabled by effective collaboration between the national and local governments and the players from the private sector.

In a recent BusinessWorld Insights online forum titled “A Connected Nation: State of Internet Connectivity in the Philippines,” Gil Genio, chief technology and information officer of Globe Telecom, Inc., shared his thoughts on what needs to be done to improve the country’s Internet connectivity.

Mr. Genio first recognized the need for increased internet speeds, citing data gathered by leading mobile analytics firms. Opensignal recently reported that the country’s mobile internet speeds are up to 8.3 mbps (megabytes per second) with the 4G availability of about 83%, while Ookla measures the Philippines’ mobile internet at about 6.84 mbps, and fixed internet at about 25.3 mbps.

While these metrics indicate growth, these might not be the case for every online user, especially for those at the “bottom one-third of the speed distribution.”

internet connection in the philippines essay

“I think that there is progress in average internet speeds, but none of these things will matter if an individual, a household, or business feels that they have been left out because their speeds are not up to scratch or they have no internet or fiber,” Mr. Genio stressed.

The chief technology and information officer believes that telcos like Globe are simply a part of solving the country’s connectivity issues, which has at its core the building of digital infrastructure.

“Globe has been consistent in its position that our fundamental digital infrastructure in our country needs to be solved by everyone, not just by telcos,” he said.

An issue he has observed hampering the improvement of connectivity is the resistance of local government units and homeowners associations against cell sites and fiber, which are among the essential components for the infrastructure.

“In fact, some LGUs even passed ordinances preventing sites in residential areas, which is now regrettable given the pandemic,” Mr. Genio recalled, having noted as well that according to Google’s Mobility Report there has been 43% reduction in people staying at workplaces and 23% increase in people staying in their residences over the past six months.

This poses a challenge in adding up to the number of cell sites and fiber country, which Mr. Genio observed has been left out by its neighbors such as Vietnam and Indonesia.

“My own personal ambition is that if the country can get about 50- to 60,000 in the next three years — and with the help of independent tower companies plus intense competition among players — we will actually get to a decent kind of penetration for mobile internet,” Mr. Genio shared.

He also strongly holds that there should be more fiber connections since these will better serve about 25 million households in the country that are continuing their work or classes at home.

“All of them need fiber, copper, mobile internet capacity, however they can get it,” he added.

Thankfully, Mr. Genio noted, with the work of the Anti-Red Tape Authority and the issuance of the joint memorandum circular (JMC) streamlining procedures for building common towers, permits have now come at a fast pace.

“In 2019 we added double the number of sites versus 2018. In 2020, because of the JMC, and despite the difficult challenges posed by the pandemic, it is a pleasant surprise that we might actually exceed the number of cell sites we added in 2019,” he said.

Moreover, Mr. Genio sees a “window of opportunity” opening with the passage of Bayanihan to Recover As One Act, or the Bayanihan 2, which suspends requirements to secure permits needed for telco infrastructure.

“It is a real window of three years if we usher in a very real ‘Build, Build, Build’ for telcos and digital infrastructure,” he said.

Nonetheless, he believes that collaboration between private and government sectors shall continue by determining in which areas can the government play a role in enhancing connectivity, especially in terms of bringing access to remote areas.

“I think a cooperative arrangement with the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology) and the telcos, with respect to their program, can fast-track some of these things, acknowledging of course that sometimes the government doesn’t necessarily have the full budget in order to address this quickly,” he explained.

With hindrances removed and opportunities opened, hopes for improved connectivity in the country are getting higher. For Mr. Genio, Globe will continue its commitment to ensuring a wide range of choices for every individual, whether it’s fiber or mobile internet, from Wi-Fi to LTE and 5G.

“We cannot do this overnight. We cannot do this alone. Thanks to the government that has listened, we now have a clear window with respect to the permits. So now, it’s part of our job to make sure all of these happens,” he said. “But our commitment [remains] to make sure that every Filipino does have that access.”

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Demographics & Use

Internet usage in the Philippines - statistics & facts

The digital landscape of the philippines, popular activities of filipino internet users, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Daily time spent using internet APAC Q3 2023, by country

Internet penetration rate Philippines 2020-2029

Mobile internet usage reach in the Philippines 2010-2029

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Current statistics on this topic.

Number of internet users Philippines 2018-2028

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Internet connection speed Philippines 2023, by type

Daily time spent using various media and devices Philippines Q3 2023, by activity

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Premium Statistic Daily time spent using internet APAC Q3 2023, by country
Premium Statistic Internet penetration APAC 2024, by subregion
Basic Statistic Internet freedom APAC 2022, by country
Premium Statistic Internet economy size SEA 2023, by country

Average daily time spent using the internet in the Asia-Pacific region in the 3rd quarter of 2023, by country or territory (in hours and minutes)

Internet penetration APAC 2024, by subregion

Internet penetration in the Asia-Pacific region as of January 2024, by subregion

Internet freedom APAC 2022, by country

Degree of internet freedom in the Asia-Pacific region in 2022, by country

Internet economy size SEA 2023, by country

Internet economy size in Southeast Asia in 2023, by country (in billion U.S. dollars)

Demographics and use

Basic Statistic Number of internet users Philippines 2018-2028
Basic Statistic Internet penetration rate Philippines 2020-2029
Premium Statistic Number of households with internet access in the Philippines 2014-2029
Premium Statistic Mobile internet usage reach in the Philippines 2010-2029
Premium Statistic Devices used to access the internet Philippines Q3 2023
Premium Statistic Daily time spent using various media and devices Philippines Q3 2023, by activity
Premium Statistic Most visited websites Philippines 2022-2023, by monthly average visits

Number of internet users in the Philippines from 2018 to 2028 (in millions)

Internet penetration rate in the Philippines from 2020 to 2029

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Number of households with internet access in the Philippines from 2014 to 2029 (in millions)

Mobile internet usage penetration in the Philippines from 2010 to 2029

Devices used to access the internet Philippines Q3 2023

Devices used to access the internet among users in the Philippines as of 3rd quarter 2023

Average daily time spent using various media and devices in the Philippines as of 3rd quarter 2023, by activity (in hours)

Most visited websites Philippines 2022-2023, by monthly average visits

Most visited websites in the Philippines between December 2022 and November 2023, by monthly average visits (in millions)

Internet infrastructure

Premium Statistic Internet connection speed Philippines 2023, by type
Premium Statistic Fastest internet provider Philippines 2023, by download speed
Premium Statistic Fastest fixed network connection Philippines Q3-Q4 2023
Premium Statistic Mobile operator with fastest internet connection Philippines Q4 2023
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Median speed of internet connections in the Philippines as of November 2023, by type (in Mbps)

Fastest internet provider Philippines 2023, by download speed

Fastest internet service providers (ISPs) in the Philippines as of September 2023, by download speed (in Mbps)

Fastest fixed network connection Philippines Q3-Q4 2023

Fastest fixed network connection in the Philippines during 3rd quarter and 4th quarter 2023

Mobile operator with fastest internet connection Philippines Q4 2023

Leading mobile operator in the Philippines in 4th quarter 2023, by median download speed (in Mbps)

5G average download speed of network providers Philippines 2023

Average download speed of 5G network providers in the Philippines as of April 2023 (in Mbps)

Social media

Premium Statistic Social media platforms market share Philippines 2023, by type
Premium Statistic Social media users in the Philippines 2020-2029
Premium Statistic Most used social media platforms Philippines Q3 2023
Premium Statistic Facebook users in the Philippines 2019-2028
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Social media platforms market share Philippines 2023, by type

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Leading social media platforms used each month by internet users in the Philippines as of 3rd quarter 2023

Facebook users in the Philippines 2019-2028

Number of Facebook users in the Philippines from 2019 to 2028 (in millions)

Instagram users in the Philippines 2019-2028

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Premium Statistic Gross merchandise value of e-commerce Philippines 2019-2030
Premium Statistic E-commerce spending growth on consumer goods Philippines 2022-2023, by category
Premium Statistic Weekly online shopping activities of internet users Philippines Q3 2023
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Basic Statistic Penetration rate of e-commerce Philippines 2018-2027

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E-commerce market size in the Philippines in 2019, 2021 and 2022, with a forecast for 2023, 2025 and 2030 (in billion U.S. dollars)

E-commerce spending growth on consumer goods Philippines 2022-2023, by category

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Weekly online shopping activities of internet users Philippines Q3 2023

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Penetration rate of e-commerce in the Philippines from 2018 to 2027

Premium Statistic Number of users of video streaming (svod) in the Philippines 2017-2027
Premium Statistic Penetration rate of video streaming (SVOD) Philippines 2017-2027
Premium Statistic Number of users of music streaming in the Philippines 2017-2027
Premium Statistic Penetration rate of music streaming in the Philippines 2017-2027

Number of users of video streaming (svod) in the Philippines 2017-2027

Number of users of video streaming (svod) in the Philippines from 2017 to 2027 (in millions)

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Number of users of music streaming in the Philippines 2017-2027

Number of users of music streaming in the Philippines from 2017 to 2027 (in millions)

Penetration rate of music streaming in the Philippines 2017-2027

Penetration rate of the music streaming market in the Philippines from 2017 to 2027

Internet security

Basic Statistic Number of data breaches Philippines 2020-2023, by quarter
Premium Statistic Number of web threats via browsers detected and blocked Philippines 2017-2023
Premium Statistic Number of detected mobile malware attacks Philippines 2019-2022
Premium Statistic Cybersecurity-related incident share Philippines 2022, by sector
Premium Statistic Top impacts of cyber incidents at companies Philippines 2022

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Number of web threats via browsers detected and blocked Philippines 2017-2023

Number of web threats via browsers detected and foiled in the Philippines from 2017 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of detected mobile malware attacks Philippines 2019-2022

Number of mobile malware attacks detected in the Philippines from 2019 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Cybersecurity-related incident share Philippines 2022, by sector

Share of cybersecurity-related incidents handled by CERT-PH in the Philippines in 2022, by sector

Top impacts of cyber incidents at companies Philippines 2022

Leading impacts of cyber incidents reported at companies in the Philippines in 2022

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How the Philippines plans to improve 'pathetic' Internet speed

For household download speed, the Philippines ranks 176th out of 202 countries worldwide, and 21st out of 22 in Asia.

By Michelle Toh Staff writer @michelletoh235

June 30, 2015

The Philippines needs to take speedy action on a very slow problem, says a Filipino senator, echoing the complaints of millions of users.

“The current situation in the country is, sad to say, unacceptable. The state of Internet speed is pathetic, and unless we remedy this situation, our IT sector is likely to suffer in the long term,” Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero told local news.

Despite an insatiable appetite for social media , access to the web – at any speed – has long been difficult to obtain in much of the Philippines. Only 37 percent of Filipinos had Internet connectivity in 2013, according to a recent United Nations report . Among the 190 countries evaluated, the Philippines ranked 110th.

For household download speed, the Philippines ranks 176th out of 202 countries worldwide, according to Internet metrics provider Ookla . “Globally, the average broadband download speed is 23.3 Mbps, nearly eight times faster than the Philippines,” reported GMA News .

But for some users, what they have is good enough. "Our country's internet speed isn't 'slow' in an absolute sense," says Isaac Javellana, a gamer who lives in Manila. "Emails, social networking and some light streaming isn't an issue. In a relative sense though, we pay more for what we get. This is where the problem lies. HD streaming and quick gigabyte downloads are luxuries only accessible to a select few."

The biggest problem is a "lack of competition in the industry to encourage any development at all," says Mr. Javellana. In his opinion, local technicians are poorly trained, with "troubleshooting capabilities limited to issues your regular mom and pop would have."

He adds that he currently pays for an average plan but would be willing to pay more for a connection "that would improve pings and optimize routings to other countries," so he can finally stop experiencing lags when playing games like Call of Duty. "Sadly, there is no such option," he says.

Crazy hard to enjoy your tablet when you have the worst Internet speed. I'm in the #Philippines by the way. — Vinz Matias (@VinzMatias) June 25, 2015

Philippines internet speed is slower than a baby turtle. SO MUCH HATE. — Cecile Mesina (@cecilemesina) June 25, 2015

In response to widespread complaints, the government has announced plans to bring free Wi-Fi into schools, parks, libraries, hospitals, and public transportation stations. Speed will remain slow, at 256 kbps, which is closer to dial-up speeds than the 3G and 4G speeds most Americans are used to. But it would allow people to check their email and browse simple websites.

In March, Facebook brought its " Internet for All " plan to the Philippines, providing free access to a few sites (including Facebook and instant messaging) for anyone with a cell phone plan with particular service providers.

Senator Escudero says the solution begins with regulating telecom giants.

“If they have to be mandated to allocate some of their earnings for improving Internet speed, mainly through investing in more equipment and hardware, then so be it,” declared Escudero, joining the chorus of government leaders blaming companies for prioritizing profit over quality.

Those companies criticize the government in return, for creating excessive red tape and confusion.

Staff writer Jessica Mendoza contributed to this report.

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In the Know: Internet in PH

The Philippines consistently lagged behind in internet connection and speed in several studies on interconnectivity.

In April, the Philippines ranked 121st out of 139 countries in mobile internet speed and placed 110 out of 174 countries in fixed broadband speed, according to the Speed Test Global Index.

A separate 2017 report of Akamai, an internet service and security provider firm, showed that the Philippines had the slowest average connection speed of just 4.5 Mbps (megabits per second), followed by India with 5.6 Mbps.

There are some 57 million internet users, 3.9 million broadband subscribers, 134.6 million mobile phone subscribers and 4.1 million landline subscribers in the country in 2018, according to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

This is expected to jump as the coronavirus pandemic has forced Filipinos to go online for work and school since quarantine restrictions were implemented in March.

For its part, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has vowed to improve internet service and increase its access after the quarantine. Last March, it launched Wi-Fi spots in remote and disadvantaged areas in Albay, Isabela, Palawan, Lanao del Sur, and Davao City. By the end of 2020, it aims to establish 10,000 free Wi-Fi sites nationwide.

In 2015, the DICT also rolled out the Pipol Konek, then known as Juan Konek. The free Wi-Fi project aims to provide internet access to public places, such as schools, airports, public hospitals and parks as well as other state facilities in remote areas. The project aims to hit 200,000 sites by 2022.

Sources: Inquirer Archives, cia.gov

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Slow Internet Connection in the Philippines Hinders Education and Business Prospects

Cai U. Ordinario
April 17, 2017
4 minute read

Table of Contents Hide

Internet access opens up an endless world of information for filipinos, government policies influence poor internet connection in the philippines, what is the government doing to solve slow internet connections in the philippines, slow internet connection in the philippines hinders ict growth, internet speeds are looking up with the entrance of new players in the industry.

With internet access transcending its former image as a privilege for the rich, connectivity has now trickled down to other social ranks due to the global digital revolution. However, in 2020, when the world was sent to a standstill due to the pandemic, workers and students were plunged into the world of hyperawareness of slow internet connections in the Philippines. From constant disconnections to lagging video conferences, the frustration has constantly been building up for the past few years. However, what’s much more frustrating for consumers is that not only does the Philippines have slow internet connection speeds, but internet service providers also charge more.

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) ranks the Philippines based on their affordability score the lowest in the ASEAN , behind Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia. The average internet speed also lags ahead of our ASEAN neighbors, with an average download speed of 49.52 mbps for fixed broadband, and 17.95 mbps for mobile data. As of January 2022, the Philippines is ranked at 67 th place based on Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index , an international web service that analyzes internet performance all over the world. Unsurprisingly, other ASEAN countries continuously top the Ookla global median speeds, namely Singapore and Thailand.

But why does the Philippines suffer from poor and slow internet connection while other countries have started to gain momentum when it comes to providing better connectivity? There are a variety of factors, including the government’s regulations, weak digital infrastructures in the Philippines, and the lack of strong competition in the internet service industry.

For Frank La Rue, the special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion of the UN, the Internet is a human right. Access to the Web, La Rue argued, is not merely a privilege for the rich and the famous, but is now considered a basic need, as the Internet is an avenue where people can enjoy their rights to freedom of expression and opinion.

It also gives people access to a marketplace of information—a library of ideas and opinions, where people converge and exchange concepts and ideas encompassing basically anything under the sun.

La Rue pointed out that the Internet, like any other medium, enables individuals to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds instantaneously and inexpensively across national borders.”

“Given that the Internet has become an indispensable tool for realizing a range of human rights, combating inequality and accelerating development and human progress, ensuring universal access to the Internet should be a priority for all states. Each state should, thus, develop a concrete and effective policy…to make the Internet widely available, accessible, and affordable to all segments of population,” he said.

One of the strong factors why the Philippines suffers from slow internet connectivity is the government’s regulatory bottlenecks, including the law that’s hampering the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to regulate internet service in the country as a basic service.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of NTC, Edgardo V. Cabarios, the NTC requires additional powers to better regulate internet speed and price. With numerous complaints filed at the NTC concerning slow internet connections in the Philippines, Cabarios notes that it is now more apparent that internet connection has become a need instead of a want for the Filipino people – which is now more obvious than ever with thousands or even millions of employees and students now needing a stable internet connection to communicate clearly and to learn without any impediments.

Cabarios states that if internet connection is branded as a necessity, the NTC will be able to clearly dictate the price and the speed required for all telecommunication companies and internet service providers.

In addition, weak competition, and the lack of foreign internet providers to provide local ISPs with competition is also driving slow internet connections all over the Philippines.

As the Philippines continues its losing streak in the broadband-speed wars, lawmakers had moved to conduct a probe to help improve the “pathetic state” of the Internet in the country in the past years.

In 2016, Sen. Francis G. Escudero called for an inquiry on the state of the Philippine broadband market, calling it “unacceptable” given that it has a direct impact on many industries, like the business-process outsourcing sector, which currently helps grow the Philippine economy.

“The current situation in the country is, sad to say, unacceptable. The state of Internet speed is pathetic, and unless we remedy this situation, our IT [information technology] sector is likely to suffer in the long term,” he said. He called on the NTC to start cracking the whip and fix the system immediately.

“If they have to be mandated to allocate some of their earnings for improving Internet speed, mainly through investing in more equipment and hardware, then so be it,” Escudero said.

He added: “These telcos have been going to town in the past few years telling their shareholders that they have been earning billions of pesos. But they conveniently forget the millions of subscribers and users who put those billions in their coffers, but who continue to suffer from poor service.”

As of the end of 2021, PLDT and Globe have a combined net income of 23.72 billion. “The point is, something needs to be done, and done very soon,” he said. “The problem is that government agencies that are supposed to monitor these telcos and help consumers don’t seem to feel the urgency of the situation.”

Bad Internet connection is a more pressing problem in the Philippines compared to poverty and corruption, according to a study released by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

In a discussion paper, PIDS Research Information Department Director Sheila Siar, Senior Research Fellow Jose Ramon Albert, and President Gilberto Llanto said this concern may have stemmed from the dependence of the country on the services sector, particularly the business-process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

The other “pressing problems” that made up the top five were agriculture and food security as well as energy provision and price.

“This [bad internet connection] is a big concern because the Philippines’s services sector owes much of its stellar performance to improvements in ICT, which was instrumental to the robust growth of the information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) industry,” the authors said.

“Poor quality service provided by Philippine telecommunication firms will create a significant hindrance to the continuous growth of the IT-BPM industry and of the services sector as a whole,” it added. The study stated that telephone services in the Philippines, in US dollars purchasing power parity cost $36.15 per month, which is the highest in the ASEAN.

In addition, mobile cellular services and fixed broadband services are priced at $22.24 (second highest) and $51.59 per month (third highest), respectively, based on data from the International Telecommunication Union. “Price, nevertheless, does not translate to quality service. Despite the high cost, Internet speed in the Philippines is among the slowest in the Asia-Pacific region,” the study stated.

So, while the internet penetration has improved in the past years in the Philippines, it is still a hindrance to the continued advancement of the ICT industry in the Philippines, which remains to be one of the industries predicted to have the highest growth in the coming years.

However, in recent years, the competition in telecommunications has started to expand, with international internet services coming in and offering faster internet speeds. The two forerunners, PLDT and Globe, are now expected to evolve and update their services to offer better prices and speeds in order to compete against newer competition, including Converge and DITO.

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Mediocrity is not exclusive to the government. Even ISPs are not bothered about their miserable services as long as they’re making obscene profits.

Where can I find and read this study?

A Study on The Internet Connectivity in The Philippines

Citation Count

Online Learning in Nursing Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Stress, Satisfaction, and Academic Performance

Digital innovations in msmes during economic disruptions: experiences and challenges of young entrepreneurs, shifting the education paradigm amid the covid-19 pandemic: nursing students' attitude to e-learning, a paradigm shift of learning in maritime education amidst covid-19 pandemic, mathematics self-concept and challenges of learners in an online learning environment during covid-19 pandemic, building broadband: strategies and policies for the developing world, the growth of broadband internet connections in south korea: contributing factors, telecommunications regulation handbook: tenth anniversary edition, the global information technology report 2005-2006: leveraging ict for development (world economic forum reports), related papers (5), australia's government policy and broadband internet access, the internet network, access to the internet, an for internet service, system and method for internet terminal to quickly access to internet server, trending questions (3).

Not addressed in the paper.

Slow internet connection in the Philippines hampers innovation and inclusive growth, affecting academic performance due to limited access and hindrance to online resources and learning opportunities.

Factors contributing to poor internet connectivity in the Philippines include lack of competition in the market, ISP practices affecting speed and cost, and lagging infrastructure compared to other developing Asian countries.

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91% of PH workers believe internet infrastructure needs to improve faster – survey

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91% of PH workers believe internet infrastructure needs to improve faster – survey

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MANILA, Philippines – A recent survey by multinational IT firm Cisco found that 91% of the Filipino workers they surveyed believed that faster or more dramatic improvements to internet infrastructure are needed to meet demands from citizens.

The same percentage of respondents also think the improvements are needed if they are to be fully supported working from home, while in public places, or on the move.

The numbers come from Cisco’s Broadband Index 2022: Workforce Insights on Access to Internet Services , in which the firm surveyed almost 60,000 workers globally across 30 markets about their home broadband access, quality and usage, and attitudes on how universal access to the internet could benefit economic and societal growth.

The study was completed in December 2021, with respondents composed of those who either work “full-time remotely; full-time in an office; hybrid, between home and the office; or on the frontline.” The specific number of respondents per country was not provided.

Notably, the percentage of those wanting faster internet improvements appears to be higher in the Philippines (91%) than the global average of about 75%. For further comparison, in Southeast Asia, that percentage is 78% in Singapore, 81% in Malaysia, 83% in Vietnam, 86% in Indonesia, and 87% in Thailand. At least according to this survey, Filipinos are among those clamoring the loudest for accelerated improvements to internet access.

The study added, “With almost half (48%) of workers [surveyed in the Philippines] revealing they use their domestic Internet connection to work from home or run a business, demand for better connectivity everywhere is unlikely to waver.”

Here are other key findings from the survey:

75% of workers state three or more people in their households are are simultaneously active online throughout the day, for an average of 10 hours per household.
In terms of future Internet usage, 28% expect their household to be online more or the same amount during the 12 months ahead.
Also in the 12 months ahead, 22% expect internet services to be used less than they currently do, but not like it was before the pandemic.
43% expect changes as their household returns to the office or back to school.
52% say they will seek to upgrade their home Internet service in the year to come, with 22% indicating they won’t upgrade because it’s too expensive to do so.

Pricing is also believed to be a concern among respondents. “A large majority (78%) of professionals in the Philippines feel access to affordable and reliable broadband will become a major issue for people. Respondents believe this is a particular problem for low-income families, with 87% saying the high cost of broadband is pricing those households out of connecting.”

“More than 9 in 10 (92%) say fast, reliable connectivity is crucial for economic growth in the Philippines; a further 90% say it is the basis of developing a well-educated and informed population.”

Major providers such as PLDT and Globe have regularly updated the public on the improvements they are rolling out, and issues such as right-of-way and permit processes that could slow down deployment. Internet speed has also seen considerable improvements recently, at least according to one analytics firm, Ookla . Despite these, the working sector – specifically those relying on the internet to make a living – has expressed a desire for even faster improvements to internet infrastructure, and a belief that pricing has to become more affordable to allow more Filipinos to be able to connect to the internet reliably. – Rappler.com

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Empowering connectivity: Addressing obstacles to Internet access in the Philippines

Filipinos have three key difficulties in acquiring access to dependable, inexpensive, and secure Internet: restrictive and archaic licensing processes, a lack of a framework for infrastructure sharing, and costly and time-consuming network rollout and Right of Way (RoW) approval.

Better Internet PH (BIP), a group of stakeholders dedicated to enhancing Internet connectivity in the country, emphasized that these challenges necessitate extensive reforms and policy interventions focused on streamlining licensing procedures, establishing mechanisms for infrastructure sharing, and implementing measures to reduce the cost and complexity of network deployment approval.

During the “Building Blocks: The U.S.-Philippine Partnership for a Prosperous and Cyber-secure Digital Economy” event on June 6 in Cebu, Mary Grace Mirandilla-Santos, an independent policy researcher and lead advocate for BIP, expressed to journalists that effectively tackling these challenges holds the key to fostering a more inclusive and interconnected digital ecosystem in the Philippines, ultimately benefiting all its residents.

However, prior to exploring potential solutions, it is crucial to examine the fundamental factors underlying the difficulties in accessing Internet services, particularly those living in remote villages in the provinces.

Santos said that based on the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) 2019 National ICT Household Survey, around 30 million households in the country did not have Internet access. They remained offline as the COVID-19 pandemic approached due to the digital divide caused by the obstacles.

One of the sectors profoundly affected by the consequences of this digital divide, she said, was education. To assess the extent of the issue, the Department of Education (DepEd) conducted an evaluation of student Internet connectivity during the lockdown. The findings revealed a significant disparity, with 52 percent of public schools and a staggering 83 percent of their students unable to access the online resources necessary for remote learning.

Many of the over 42,000 barangays lacked access to basic internet infrastructure, with 70% lacking access to fiber optic cables, 60% lacking access to cellular towers, and 80% lacking access to free Wi-Fi.

Santos also highlighted a significant statistic in the context of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) – less than one percent of the 2,500+ barangays in the region have access to broadband services.

“There are several factors that affect access, but in the Philippines, the availability of broadband infrastructure is, actually, at the heart of the digital divide, or the difference between the haves and the have nots in terms of broadband access,” she said, and this is felt more at the community level.

Quality of Internet service Santos said that when it comes to the quality of service, specifically in terms of download speed, gamers have reported that despite Ookla’s speed test showing 800 megabits per second (Mbps), they are still unable to play. This implies that having a high download speed does not guarantee a good connectivity experience.

“According to Ookla, in terms of speed, the Philippines was found to have, well—its mobile Internet is 37 percent slower than the ASEAN average. But in terms of fixed broadband, or wired broadband, our median speed is actually slightly faster than the average in the ASEAN region,” she said.

The average mobile median download speed in Mbps is 40.98 in ASEAN, while it is 25.63 in the Philippines. On the other hand, the average fixed median download speed in Mbps is 85.67 in ASEAN, whereas in the Philippines, it is slightly higher at 90.57.

Regarding affordability, Santos emphasized the significance of considering the portion of a household’s income dedicated to Internet subscription when analyzing the situation in the Philippines.

Citing the recently published 2023 World Data Lab findings on the Internet Poverty Index, she pointed out that among ASEAN countries, the Philippines ranks second with a mobile Internet poverty rate of 16.60 percent. The highest percentage of mobile Internet poverty is observed in Laos, standing at 20.80 percent.

“If this is any indication to you, Cambodia and Myanmar are doing much better in terms of affordability,” she said.

Santos also referenced data from Cable.co.uk, which indicated a consistent decline in the average monthly cost of fixed or wired broadband in the Philippines since 2020-2021. This information underlines the disparity between mobile and fixed broadband.

In addition, she mentioned the Affordability Drivers Index Score 2021, revealing that the Philippines has the second-lowest affordability score among ASEAN countries, just slightly better than Laos.

Challenges in better Internet access She emphasized that various studies, including one conducted by the World Bank and BIP, have identified significant obstacles that prevent Filipinos from accessing an Internet connection that is accessible, reliable, affordable, and secure. One of the key issues identified is the restrictive and outdated licensing process for broadband networks.

The existing licensing framework implemented by the government imposes restrictions that confine the establishment and operation of broadband networks exclusively to telecommunications (telcos). As a result, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are limited to the role of mere resellers.

Santos provided an explanation highlighting the nature of the Internet as a distributed and decentralized network. This unique architecture allows individuals to have Internet connections, even in small municipalities in Mindanao, even in the absence of a nationwide network. The connectivity is made possible by the concept that as long as one can connect to a single node, it can facilitate the connection to the broader Internet.

“But because the licensing is design to give a permit or license to big nationwide telcos, essentially telephone operators, then we have ISPs that are actually just resellers,” she stated.

Santos said that another challenge is that in the country, there is a lack of infrastructure sharing, resulting in telcos independently carrying out tasks such as road excavation, fiber laying, pole installation, and, until recently, tower ownership.

Infrastructure sharing encompasses the practice of jointly utilizing physical network components, such as towers, cables, or other facilities, among multiple operators. This collaborative approach allows these operators to provide their services using the shared infrastructure. Insufficient infrastructure sharing can result in redundant resources, elevated expenses, and inefficient use of infrastructure, ultimately leading to restricted access, elevated prices, and delayed service deployment.

Santos noted a positive development in this regard, stating that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has implemented a common tower policy. This policy allows multiple mobile network operators to share a single tower within a community, eliminating the need for each operator to construct their own towers.

However, the third challenge lies in the costly and time-consuming process of obtaining permits for network rollout.

“What does this mean? To connect to the Internet, physical facilities are required, and communities need to be interconnected. Each community has its own set of permits, requirements, and so on, and this applies not only at the local government level but also with national government agencies, which often impose unnecessary requirements,” she explained.

Fortunately, she said that the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is actively working alongside the DICT, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and other relevant government entities to address this issue.

Curative laws needed But she pointed out that more needs to be done in terms of government policies to ensure better Internet access for all. Republic Act 7925, also recognized as the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of 1995, had established legal and regulatory barriers that have hindered the advancement of the Internet and ICT industries in the Philippines.

This law aimed to liberalize the telecommunications sector, enabling the entry of new telephone operators such as Globe, Islacom, Piltel, and others into the market in the past. However, she explained that when it comes to the Internet in the present day, it has limitations on network development and expansion.

“Network operators are required by this law to secure a Congressional franchise and a certificate of public convenience and necessity. These requirements are basically for a telephone network, and usually, if you’re a telephone network, you have to deploy a network nationwide, which should not be the case for ISPs, or those who want to connect the communities,” she explained.

“It also promotes a restrictive environment so non-telco providers are not allowed to build their own Internet network even if the technology they’re using is not actually telephone-based,” she added.

Santos is making this statement because when the Internet was first introduced to the Philippines in 1994, it relied on dial-up connections using telephones. But over the years, numerous Internet technologies have emerged, including cable TV and satellite Internet options like Starlink.

Santos said there is a need for a “curative law” to address the barriers that hinder access to reliable, affordable, and secure Internet in the Philippines. Currently, there are three bills in Congress aimed at tackling these issues and finding suitable solutions, which need to be passed.

The first is the Open Access in Internet Services Act, which aims to establish a regulatory framework specifically tailored for Internet services. This act proposes two significant reforms: reducing barriers and facilitating the entry of Internet network operators, and streamlining registration and qualification processes for service providers, to be overseen by industry regulators.

She noted that if this law is enacted, it would set a global best practice, as “the Philippines is the only country in the world that still requires Congress to issue a franchise.”

“If I were an ISP in Zamboanga, I need to go to Congress and ask it to pass a law as the first step to licensing my ISP so that I will be a telco even if I don’t intend to offer telco services. Telco services is your voice calls, or mobile cellular SMS,” she stated.

Santos said that numerous community ISPs, such as cable TV operators, are operating in almost every municipality across the country and have the capacity to offer fiber broadband services. However, they are currently restricted from expanding their fiber broadband coverage beyond the areas covered by their service franchise.

Despite their desire to expand their network to encompass additional towns, she stated that they are unable to do so unless they apply for a Congressional franchise or seek provisional authority to operate, she added.

The passage of the bill is crucial, she said, as it will expedite and streamline broadband deployment by establishing a policy framework for infrastructure sharing. Moreover, it will institutionalize the reforms introduced by ARTA, DICT, and other agencies, ensuring a more efficient approval process.

“Again, it will simplify the licensing process. And, I think, it’s central to the ease of doing business,” she said.

She stated that the law was adopted by the House on third reading in December 2022, but it has never passed the Senate since 2016 despite overwhelming support from various government agencies, including the DICT, the business sector, and the civil society.

The second and third bills they’re hoping would be passed is the Rural Wired Internet Development Act, which aims to incentivize market players to expand wired Internet services in remote areas, and the Faster Internet Service Act, which seeks to mandate Internet service providers to expand coverage and meet a minimum connection speed requirement.

“As you already know, wired Internet like fiber broadband is the most reliable in terms of quality service, so we do want to promote the deployment or expansion of wired Internet. However, deploying wired or cable Internet can be more expensive and difficult in the rural areas,” she said.

The most significant aspect of the proposed Faster Internet Service Act, meanwhile, is that it will require service stability, which means that Internet consumers will get what they paid for.

Whatever the ISPs advertise should be what consumers should receive, or at least 80% of what they’re supposed to get.

Santos stated that the BIP supports three bills, with a particular emphasis on the Open Access Bill, as it encompasses all the essential reforms they believe will drive progress.

“Apart from lowering barriers to entry for those who want to build broadband networks, and we’d like to emphasize that this is specially for the communities. The small ISPs should be allowed to build networks and connect their communities,” she said, which is now being practiced in many countries around the world.

She stressed that the Open Access Bill includes a provision concerning the rights of Internet users, making it “very important.”

She expressed the BIP’s hope that President Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s vision of digitalization will soon become a reality in the country, enabling communities to be connected online.

“If we don’t change any of our laws right now, if we don’t introduce the Open Access Bill, we believe that it would be status quo. What we have now, what we’re experiencing now, what your communities are experiencing now, would be the same, unless there are ISPs that would grow big enough to want a franchise from Congress,” she said.

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Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda urged the government to prioritise cell sites in geographically isolated and disadvantageous regions (GIDA), indigenous villages, and other upland places. In addition, she advocated that the government’s digitalisation and internet connectivity initiative be implemented throughout Antique province in the future years.

In her hometown of Antique, 40% of the populace uses Globe and Smart connectivity. However, their tower locations are focused on urban regions. As a result, Legarda requested that WiFi hotspots be deployed throughout the province.

Legarda discussed her proposals with Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo, Undersecretary Angelo Nuestro, and Assistant Secretary Philip Varilla at the Senate of the Philippines.

Around 18 Antique towns will undergo digital transformations to improve municipal services to be more accessible, faster, and more efficient. Legarda, the primary author of Republic Act No. 10844, the law that established the DICT, underlined the importance of ICT infrastructure, systems, and resources in ensuring universal access to excellent, cheap, dependable, and secure ICT services.

“We are doing this in Antique, and we will do it in other areas of the country. With our stronger cooperation with the DICT, we want every community, even our indigenous communities, to be digitally linked so that they are not left aside,” she added.

Meanwhile, Lamentillo said the DICT would pursue its mandate to build the digital infrastructure connecting communities, especially those in far-flung areas. The connectivity programme also provides citizens with better quality of life by delivering speedy and efficient government services to the people.

“We thank Senator Loren Legarda for her unwavering support to the DICT, from its inception and up to the present as we strive to ensure that every community in the country is digitally connected,” she declared.

Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Philippines has strengthened efforts to develop the country’s internet connection. He promised his administration would do all its power to offer free internet connection to rural communities. The government plans to roll out the “BroadBand ng Masa Programme” (BBMP) to all isolated islands, especially those without a mobile cellular connection.

BBMPs across the country give free internet access to students and teachers from geographically isolated and disadvantaged regions (GIDAs). As part of the programme, an additional 628 operational free WiFi sites were installed, increasing the total amount of such WiFi sites throughout the Philippines to 4,757. At least 2.1 million unique users, or around 100,000 families, can access the government’s free internet connections. Interconnectivity and government services will benefit from digital technologies.

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy was optimistic about the programme’s ability to help develop a “direct relationship” between GIDAs and the government. Establishing the Free WiFi for All Programme is one of the government’s accomplishments in boosting connection. He committed to increasing efforts to extend internet connection to more remote places.

Indonesia is made a similar push to persuade local governments to accelerate the provision of digital infrastructure for telecommunications and internet needs in rural locations. To service the community in all villages/sub-districts in Indonesia’s most remote, outlying, and underserved (3T) sites that have yet to be served by a 4G signal network. The BTS was built with funds from the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget by the Ministry of Communication and Information.

The BTS will be a downstream facility allowing the public to benefit from upstream infrastructure such as a broadband fibre-optic cable network. Another method for providing internet connection to rural schools and health care facilities is the SATRIA-I Satellite and the Hot Backup Satellite.

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Study: Filipinos Are Paying for ‘Mediocre’ and Expensive Internet Service

Posted on Sep 19, 2022 Sep 19, 2022
3 minute read
Edgardo Toledo

Sep 19, 2022 • Edgardo Toledo

In an era where almost everything is powered by the internet, a strong and reliable connection is crucial. Sadly, the Philippines is still among the countries that suffer from poor internet service. One study concluded internet affordability in the Philippines is “comparatively mediocre” and is among the “not affordable.” Here’s what it found.

2022 Digital Quality Life Index

Netherlands-based cybersecurity company Surfshark published its 2022 Digital Quality Life Index, giving insights into the factors that impact a country’s digital well-being and areas that can be improved.

The report focused on five pillars: internet affordability, internet quality, electronic infrastructure, electronic security, and electronic government.

Expensive internet service

This year, the Philippines was ranked 55th overall out of 117 countries and 14th out of 34 Asian countries. But among the five pillars, the country had the lowest numbers in internet affordability, ranking 98th globally.

Despite improvements from the previous year, the internet in the Philippines remains among the most expensive in the world. Surfshark said a 1 gigabyte (GB) mobile internet package costs 4 minutes and 51 seconds of work per month in the Philippines. In comparison, a 1GB mobile internet package costs just 5 seconds of work in Israel, which has the most affordable internet globally.

Fixed broadband in the Philippines also continues to get more expensive, with people needing to work over 11 hours to afford the most affordable package. “To afford it, Filipinos have to work 34 times more than Israeli citizens, for whom the most affordable package costs only 19 minutes of work monthly,” said Surfshark .

Internet quality in the Philippines

Internet quality in the Philippines has improved, but at a much slower rate in comparison to other countries. During the implementation of blended learning in schools, DepEd also acknowledged how the slow internet connection affects both Filipino students and teachers.

According to Surfshark, internet quality in the Philippines is “comparatively mediocre”. Mobile internet speed in the Philippines is now 38.73 Mbps (9.6 Mbps faster than last year). Meanwhile, fixed broadband speed is 75.07 Mbps (25.8 Mbps faster than last year). In comparison, Singapore, which has the fastest internet in the world, has mobile speeds of up to 104 Mbps and fixed broadband speeds of at most 261 Mbps.

How to Not Get Hacked: 8 Things You’ve Gotta Do to Keep Your Accounts Secure How to Not Get Hacked: 8 Things You’ve Gotta Do to Keep Your Accounts Secure Daniel Gonzales | May 28, 2020

Speed and affordability aren’t the only problems

Coverage is also an issue. According to ICT expert Grace Mirandilla-Santos, connectivity options should not be focused only on the NCR and other urban centers and must include rural areas, so no one gets left behind.

Despite numerous internet service providers, Filipinos have expressed dismay over the country’s current internet connectivity. A survey by IT firm Cisco in April 2022 revealed that 91% of Filipino workers believed more internet infrastructure modifications are needed to meet the growing demand. In addition, 87% of the respondents can’t access critical services such as online medical appointments and utility services because of unstable broadband connections.

Then, there’s the issue of cybersecurity

The country was ranked 44th overall in electronic security in the DQL 2022, which reflects the rampant cybersecurity problems like message spam , child exploitation , and troll farms , among others.

The government has plans underway

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy said they aim to renew and reactivate the Free Wi-Fi for All – Free Public Internet Access Program. The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and DICT are also working together to build satellite connectivity to support the country’s digital transformation and economic recovery.

And Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Arsenio Andolong recently revealed there were discussions between the Philippines, Japan, and the US to improve cybersecurity and information sharing.

We still have a long way to go, but let’s hope these future projects can help improve connectivity in the Philippines.

What do you think about this study’s findings?