The Philippines’ fixed broadband and mobile download speeds increased in March after the government streamlined the issuance of the local government units’ permits, US-based speed analytics firm Ookla said Wednesday.
Ookla Speedtest Global Index report showed that the country’s fixed broadband median speed improved to 90.57megabits per second from 90.03 Mbps in February. The latest download speed represented an improvement of 19.66 percent since the Marcos administration began in July 2022.
Mobile median speed also improved as the country yielded a download speed of 25.63 Mbps from 24.58 Mbps the month before. The latest download speed improved 13.66 percent since July 2022.
The National Telecommunications Commission said that ensuring improvement of internet speed remained a priority as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked telecommunications companies to support expediting the digitalization of small businesses and government services given the Filipinos’ massive use of the internet in every single aspect of life.
The NTC said the steady improvement of internet speed also complements President Marcos’ Executive Order 18 directing the establishment of green lanes for strategic investments in all government agencies.
The order also directs the Department of Information and Communications Technology to make available to LGUs the software for the computerization of the business permit and licensing system, with the help of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
It said streamlining and speeding up the issuance of LGU permits in July 2020 generated a significant increase in permits granted to telcos from July 2020 to February 2023.
“Improvement on internet speed is largely attributed to this development as telcos are able to fast-track building infrastructure [cellular towers and fiber optic network] necessary in boosting services and connectivity,” it said.