PH ranks 60th in digital quality of life global assessment

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines ranked 60th among 121 countries worldwide in the 2023 Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) consolidated by cybersecurity company, Surfshark.

This ranking is five places down compared to the group’s 2022 data.

The assessment was based on five core pillars: internet quality, internet affordability, electronic security, electronic infrastructure, and electronic government.

Surfshark, in a statement, said that the country performed best in terms of internet quality, placing 21st among all countries involved.

Meanwhile, it ranked 45th in e-security, 54th in e-infrastructure, and 64th in e-government.

However, Surfshark revealed the nation is among the bottom countries when it comes to internet affordability, ranking 104th.

“In many nations, ‘digital quality of life’ has merged into the broader concept of overall ‘quality of life.’ There’s no other way to look at it now that so many daily activities, including work, education, and leisure, are done online. That’s why it’s crucial to pinpoint the areas in which a nation’s digital quality of life thrives and where attention is needed, which is the precise purpose of the DQL Index,” said Surfshark spokeswoman Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske.

The Philippines ranked 17th in Asia, with Singapore as the leader in the region.

Surfshark noted that the country’s internet quality is 25 percent higher than the global average, citing a fixed internet speed of 119 megabits per second (Mbps), which is almost half of Singapore’s 300 Mbps.

Meanwhile, the mobile internet averaged 55 Mbps, which is slightly higher than the world’s slowest mobile internet—Venezuela—at 10 Mbps.

“Since last year, mobile internet speed in the Philippines has improved by 43%, while fixed broadband speed has grown by 59%. Compared to Indonesia, the Philippines’ mobile internet is 107% faster, while fixed broadband is 229% faster,” Surfshark said.

On the other hand, Surfshark found out that Filipinos need to work 10 hours and five minutes to afford one month’s fixed broadband internet rate.

This number of hours is 34 times higher compared to Romania, which has the world’s most affordable fixed internet.

Moreover, the monthly mobile internet in the country costs three hours, eight minutes, and 52 seconds of each Filipino user’s time, or 12 times more than Luxembourg’s 16 minutes.

Surfshark further said that the nation outperforms Indonesia (61st) and Malaysia (48th) in terms of cybercrime preparedness.

“In the global context, the Philippines is prepared to fight against cybercrime, and the country has some data protection laws,” it said.

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Also, its internet penetration, or the ease of using the internet in daily activities like working, studying, and more, is measured at 91 percent, or 38th in the world.

The country also ranked 70th when it comes to network readiness to take advantage of information and communication technologies.

Surfshark said the study was based on the United Nations’ open-source information, the World Bank, and other sources.

JPV