Ookla Speedtest Global Index reported that the country’s internet average download speed continued to accelerate as fixed broadband speed increased from 46.25Mbps in March to 49.31Mbps in April 2021, while mobile speed yielded an average download speed of 29.12Mbps from 25.43Mbps the month before.
The latest download speeds represent a monthly improvement of 6.62% for fixed broadband and 14.51% for mobile.
Average download speed of fixed broadband has improved by as much as 523.38% since the Duterte administration began in July 2016.
Mobile internet speed, meanwhile, improved by 291.40% during the same period.
The improvement in the country’s internet speed comes after the President’s directive last July 2020 on the need to expedite the facilitation of LGU permits in relation to building cellular towers. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the issuance of permits from July 2020 to April 2021.
DITO Telecommunity launched commercially in key areas in Luzon last April after its initial salvo in the Visayas and Mindanao last March. The country’s third major targets its operations to be felt in Metro Manila by mid-2021.
Further improvement in internet speed is expected as telco market competition intensifies with DITO’s entry. Telcos’ performances are being closely monitored after President Duterte agreed that improvements in telco services need to be maintained so the country’s internet speed can be eventually at par with the country’s Southeast Asian neighbors.