PH internet speeds 'improved' in February, says Ookla | Inquirer News

PH internet speeds ‘improved’ in February, says Ookla

/ 06:43 PM March 02, 2021

MANILA, Philippines—Data from worldwide internet speed monitoring firm Speedtest showed that the Philippines’ internet speeds — both in the fixed broadband and mobile internet categories — continued to improve in February.

According to the Ookla Speedtest Global Index, the Philippines’ average download speed of 32.73 megabits per second (Mbps) for fixed broadband last January jumped to 38.46 Mbps for February, for a 5.73 Mbps or 17.51 percent increase.

Mobile internet speeds are now at 26.24 Mbps, from 25.77 Mbps in January.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: PH improves in mobile and fixed internet download speeds: Ookla® Speedtest Global Index 

FEATURED STORIES

These figures are significantly higher compared to almost a year ago, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the national government to place the whole of Luzon and other areas under a strict lockdown.

This lockdown, however, led several businesses to adopt work-from-home schemes through telecommuting and schools to do online classes.  However, the rapid and massive shift to online platforms took a toll on internet speeds, as Speedtest data showed that the country’s fixed broadband and mobile speeds were just at 20.40 Mbps and 13.95 Mbps, respectively.

Article continues after this advertisement

Data speeds only started to improve after July — but not without earning the ire and fury of netizens and even President Rodrigo Duterte himself.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Speedtest data: PH internet speeds returning to pre-pandemic levels 

Article continues after this advertisement

During his last State of the Nation Address, Duterte threatened telecommunication companies with expropriation or government taking over their operations if internet speeds and signal availability do not improve, especially since students and workers rely heavily on online services.

READ: Duterte warns Smart, Globe of expropriation 

Article continues after this advertisement

Internet accessibility has been a problem of the country even before the pandemic started, being notoriously behind some of its Asean neighbors in terms of data speeds.  However, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has repeatedly assured that changes would follow after Duterte’s directive.

Last January, NTC ordered telcos to submit their rollout plans for 2021 so that authorities can gauge how much the country’s internet services would improve.

The commission also noted that the entry of another telco player Dito Telecommunity prompted mainstays Globe and Smart, to pour in more resources to improve their services.

READ: NTC orders telcos to submit 2021 rollout plans to improve internet speeds 

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

READ: NTC seeks revision of right-of-way rules for telco sites 

ac
TAGS: Broadband, lockdown, NTC, Philippine news updates, Speedtest

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.