May 2021 Ookla Speedtest Global Index report showed remarkable increases in the Philippines’ global rankings in internet speed.
For fixed broadband, the country’s average download speed of 58.73Mbps represented a 15-notch monthly increase, while its speed of 31.97Mbps in mobile represented a 7-notch monthly increase.
The country’s monthly improvement in speeds was the third-best globally in both categories.
Philippine fixed broadband speed now ranks 65th out of 180 countries, while ranking 77th out of 137 countries in mobile. Only last November 2020, the country’s average download speeds for fixed broadband ranked 103rd and 110th for mobile globally. The significant progress in ranking the past months is due primarily to the Duterte government’s all-out support in expediting the release of LGU permits required for the fast-tracking of improvement of telco infrastructure.
Out of 50 countries in Asia, the country’s internet speed now placed 17th for fixed broadband and 23rd for mobile. In Asia-Pacific, the Philippines ranked 14th for fixed broadband and 12th for mobile out of 46 countries.
In ASEAN, the country ranked 5th in both fixed broadband and mobile out of 10 countries.
The latest fixed broadband download speed represents an improvement of 642.50% since the Duterte administration began in July 2016. Meanwhile, the latest mobile speed represents an improvement of 329.70% during the same timeframe.
Recent fast-tracking of telco infrastructure roll-out is expected to continue as more LGUs comply with the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 01 s. 2020 signed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Interior and Local Government, Anti-Red Tape Authority, and other government agencies.
The National Telecommunications Commission, PLDT, Globe, Converge and DITO also welcomed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) initiative to allow telecommunication companies to occupy a portion of the government’s Right of Way (ROW) as part of the government’s thrust to ensure internet connectivity throughout the country. The new DPWH directive will help speed up implementation of telco infrastructure projects especially along national roads.
With the country’s third major telco, DITO Telecommunity, now present in 100 cities all throughout the Philippines, incumbents Globe and Smart increased their capital expenditures this year.
Globe is set to spend a record P70 billion, while Smart P92 billion this year. Both investments are the highest annually for each telco for the past six years.
Fiber internet company, Converge, is also expected to increase its capital expenditure from P19 billion in 2020 to P20 billion this year as it aggressively provides pure end-to-end fiber internet connection to its market.