Ookla Speedtest Global Index report showed slight decreases in both fixed broadband and mobile median download speeds for the Philippines in January 2022.
Decreases in speeds are primarily due to the devastation brought by Typhoon “Odette” which barreled through twenty-two provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao on 16 and 17 December 2021.
The country’s fixed median broadband speed decreased to 49.52Mbps from 50.26Mbps registered the month before.
The country’s average fixed broadband speed, however, registered at 81.08Mbps.
The median download speed still represents an improvement of 526.04% since the Duterte administration began in July 2016.
Mobile median speed also slightly decreased as the country yielded a download speed of 17.95Mbps from 19.20Mbps the month before.
The country’s average mobile download speed registered at 41.01Mbps.
The median download speed represents an improvement of 141.26% since the Duterte administration began in July 2016.
As of 28 January 2022, Globe reported that full restoration efforts on telco facilities are still under way in Globe sites in Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte.
As of 05 January 2022, Smart reportedly that full restoration efforts on telco facilities are still under way in Smart sites in Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Negros Occidental Negros Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Palawan and Misamis Oriental.
Telcos claim that full restoration of several pending downed facilities are due to power outage or no commercial power available in the area.
According to Smart, restoration, specifically in some parts of Cebu is still affected by the availability of commercial power and restoration of fiber optic cable facilities.
Smart said that these fiber optic cable facilities were gravely damaged when several poles, in which cables were attached, collapsed because of the typhoon.
Fiber internet provider Converge ICT Solutions said its network operations in Iloilo, Capiz, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Davao were also affected, while Dito Telecommunity said its services were also affected in Visayas and Mindanao.
Telcos continue to work on the full restoration of internet connectivity in response to the National Telecommunications Commission’s call to immediately normalize telco services in all areas affected by Typhoon “Odette”.
Over 6.2 million people were reportedly affected by the typhoon.