Advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines urged the national government to invest more in further improving the country’s broadband connections, saying this would address the digital divide among the Filipinos.
In a statement, the group said failure to invest on digital infrastructures threatens to increase the number of Filipinos who are yet to enjoy faster and better internet connection.
This year, it said a quarter of the Filipino population will still remain offline despite the advancements in technology and their growing use in daily activities.
"Broadband investments will enable more Filipinos, wherever they may be in the archipelago, to participate in the digital economy, that would in turn increase their income potential and upgrade their skills," CitizenWatch Philippines said in a statement.
"If the Philippines wants to be a significant player in the global economy and boast of a people that is dynamic and technologically adept, the government must take this decisive action soonest. Ultimately, this will redound to the benefit of ordinary Filipinos, who stand to live a productive, efficient, and upwardly mobile life," it added.
The group said the government must take action regarding this and invest in infrastructure, like the Private Sector Advisory Council's proposal to add around P240 billion in funding to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to help deploy 5G connections faster.
Citing data from the Department of Information and Communications Technology, CitizenWatch Philippines said 65 percent of the country's population is still not connected to the internet.
The group also cited the report from the Statista Research Department, an international research company, 77.81 percent of the Filipino population will only have an internet connection by 2028 in its current phase.
“The average broadband internet speed in the Philippines is currently ranked 41st in the world, according to the Telecom Review. This is allegedly still a big problem because the speed is frequently inconsistent and merely limited,” the group said.
For his part, Think tank Stratbase ADR Institute President Dindo Manhit also wants more investments in broadband connections, noting that it is better to invest now rather than later to help adapt to the changing times.
"The transformative potential of broadband infrastructure can be best harnessed by the Philippines' young and digital savvy population, even as all segments of the citizenry stand to benefit from digital transformation," Manhit said.
"Access to fast and reliable broadband services is a fundamental requirement for full and meaningful participation in the digitized global economy. We stand to lose so much in real and potential benefits if we do not address the gaps in the country's digital infrastructure," he added.
Several lawmakers and stakeholders also want to put more emphasis on boosting internet speed in the country through the revision of the National Building Code of 1977 to remove the lease for telecommunication infrastructure, similar to electricity and water.
Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda is one of the backers of the said measure, noting that the country must adapt to the changing times and rising need for faster and better internet connection. With this, telecommunications networks would have more access and room to establish cell sites and spread their services properly across the country.