Speedtest by Ookla
MANILA, Philippines — International internet speed monitoring firm Speedtest.net by Ookla reported an increase in the average internet speed in the Philippines during the month of April.
According to Speedtest’s Global Index report, the Philippines’ average internet download speed for fixed broadband increased from 46.25 megabits per second (Mbps) last March to 49.31 Mbps in April 2021.
Meanwhile, after a slight dip in March, mobile speed also yielded an increase in the average download speed from 25.43 Mbps to 29.12 Mbps.
According to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the improvement in the country’s internet speed comes after President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive in July 2020 highlighting the need to expedite the facilitation of LGU permits in relation to building cellular towers.
Since then, there has been a significant increase in the issuance of permits from July 2020 to March 2021.
Furthermore, NTC also said that the performance of telecommunication companies in the country is being closely monitored after Duterte ordered that the country’s telco services should be on par with its Southeast Asian neighbors.
Duterte, during his last State of the Nation Address, also threatened to take over telecommunication companies and their operations if internet speeds and signal availability do not improve, especially since students and workers rely heavily on online services amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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