Faster Internet speed, other ICT developments among awaited topics in Duterte's SONA
If there is one topic that President Rodrigo Duterte should not miss in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) next week, it should be his administration’s accomplishments in the advancement of the telecommunications industry.

In reports reaching members of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology, the telecommunications industry boasted that internet speed has increased by 741% for fixed and 341% for mobile since start of Duterte administration in 2016.
Duterte will deliver his sixth and last SONA as president on July 26.
ICT panel congressmen are allegedly awaiting the chief executive’s SONA discussions on telecommunications.
In the report, Telcos representatives have disclosed that in Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index for June, the country’s latest fixed broadband download speed of 66.55Mbps was determined.
This represents an improvement of 741.34% from the 7.91Mbps speed registered at the beginning of the Duterte administration in July 2016.
The report also disclosed that the latest mobile speed of 32.84Mbps represents an improvement of 341.40% from the 7.44Mbps speed during the same timeframe.
Lawmakers were told that Speedtest Global Index began monthly global rankings in August 2017.
At that time, the Philippines’ internet speed ranked 94th out of 133 countries for fixed broadband and 100th out of 122 countries for mobile.
Philippine fixed broadband speed now ranks 62nd out of 181 countries. For mobile, the country now ranks 75th out of 137 countries.
It was also gathered that the country’s fixed broadband average download speed of 66.55Mbps in June represents a 3-notch increase in global ranking compared to last May. The mobile average download speed of 32.84Mbps in mobile represents a 2-notch increase in global ranking compared to last May.
“Out of 50 countries in Asia, the country’s internet speed now places 17th for fixed broadband and 23rd for mobile. In Asia-Pacific, the Philippines ranks 14th for fixed broadband and 13th for mobile out of 46 countries,” the report stated.
In ASEAN, the country ranked 5th in both fixed broadband and mobile out of 10 countries.
The significant progress in rankings 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.