PH internet speeds increase again for June — Ookla

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s internet speeds for both fixed broadband and mobile internet have increased once again, according to the latest numbers from global speed monitoring site Speedtest by Ookla.

According to the Speedtest Global Index’ data for June 2021 — copies of which were released by government authorities — the country’s average download speeds for fixed broadband internet is now at 66.55 megabits per second (Mbps), higher than the 59.73 Mbps recorded in May 2021.

On the other hand, average download speeds for mobile internet users in the country was at 32.84 Mbps — slightly higher than the average of 31.98 Mbps last month.

The Philippines’ ranking compared to other countries was not released, but the graphs from Speedtest showed continuous improvement compared to a year ago.

Last June 2020, just when the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions over Metro Manila and other areas were easing up, average download speeds for fixed broadband was below the 30 Mbps-mark, while it hovered around 40 Mbps only in February 2021.

The same case goes for mobile internet: in June 2020, average download speeds were way below 20 Mbps, and it reached the 25 Mbps-mark only after December 2020.

It was during this time that Speedtest confirmed that internet speeds have gone down globally, as a result of a lot of lockdowns worldwide that led people to spend more time using and relying on the internet.

Internet usage was heavy across the world, including the Philippines, as meetings, transactions, and even classes went online to avoid COVID-19 transmissions.

Speedtest said that the Philippines’ internet speeds only went back to pre-pandemic levels by August.  However, the National Telecommunications Commissions (NTC) also attributes it to President Rodrigo Duterte’s stern warning against telco companies amid supposedly poor service.

During his second-to-the-last State of the Nation Address last July 2020, Duterte warned telco players of expropriation, or the government controlling their operations, if internet connectivity and signal reception does not improve before the year ends.

“A year after President Duterte mandated PLDT and Globe Telecom to improve their services, the country’s internet speed continues to show marked improvements in recent months,” NTC said.

“The speed represents an improvement of 341.40% since the Duterte administration began in July 2016.  The President’s announcement to streamline and speed up the issuance of LGU permits in July 2020 generated a significant increase in permits granted to telcos from July 2020 to May this year vis-à-vis 2019,” it added.

JE