Nine out of ten Filipinos, (92 percent), believe that access to fast and reliable internet is critical to future economic growth but 91 percent also think broadband services need to "dramatically improve" to enable them to work from anywhere.

This was according to Cisco's Broadband Index survey covering 60,000 respondents across 30 markets, including the Philippines, which was released Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Already, 86 percent of Filipino workers actively use their broadband at home for four hours or more each day.

Nearly half (48 percent) of the Philippines’ workforce now rely on their home internet to work from home or run their own business.

However, the Cisco study underscored concerns about the digital divide.

Some 78 percent of Philippine respondents said access to affordable and reliable broadband will become a major issue for people, as connectivity becomes even more vital for access to job and educational opportunities.

More than eight out of ten (87 percent) of the country's workforce said they were unable to access critical services such as online medical appointments, online education, social care and utility services during lockdown, due to an unreliable broadband connection.

This is crucial because now, more than ever, Filipino workers value access to the internet more than ever as hybrid working continues to be the norm in 2022.

Definitely, the success of hybrid work hinges on the quality and availability of the internet.

Majority, or 91 percent of workers, say broadband services need to dramatically improve to support this new way of working.

A similar proportion (91 percent) say the reliability and quality of broadband connections are important to them.

Dependence on high-performance internet access is underlined by the fact that over eight out of ten (86 percent) Philippine workers actively use their broadband at home for four hours or more each day.

Meanwhile, three or more people use the internet at the same time in 83 percent of Philippine households.

Many teleworkers need more than a basic level of connectivity to support their livelihoods.

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To address the demands on their broadband connection, more than half (52 percent) of Philippine workers surveyed are planning to upgrade their internet service in the next 12 months.

“With hybrid working continuing to be the mainstay for Philippines’ workforce, access to high-performance, secure, and reliable internet is critical for employees to work effectively and productively when they are away from the office,” observed Zaza Soriano Nicart, Managing Director, Cisco Philippines.

At the same time, a new digital business environment has emerged where entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs can prosper, fostering innovation across industries.

A total of 99.5 percent of all businesses in the Philippines are Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

Hence, broadband connectivity plays a key role in the growth and evolution of this core business category.

Still, “As of today, more than 40 percent of the world still remains unconnected," Guy Diedrich, Cisco SVP & Global Innovation Officer, admitted.

"The inability to connect those roughly 3.4 billion people over the next 10 years risks widening the digital divide even more,” he noted.

To boost digital inclusion, Cisco maintains that governments and industries to work together and take action.

Majority, 91 percent of respondents in the study, want governments to accelerate plans to ensure high-speed and reliable internet is available to everyone.

Governments can establish broadband policies and programs that encourage competition, drive internet investments, and expand its reach.

Employers can support their workforce by adopting the right technology for their particular hybrid work model.

For their part, device providers can partner with governments to develop programs that address the needs of the unserved or underserved and adopt new ways of networking to power the "Internet for the Future".