“That’s why quality of service should be about reliability and consistency, not just numbers on a speed test app”
When Filipinos complain about internet service, the first thing they usually mention is speed.
We often hear the rant “Ang bagal!” But what frustrates people most is not a low number on a speed test.
It’s when video calls drop mid-meeting, mobile data weakens or disappears in the commute, e-payments fail at the counter, or mobile signals down during storms.
That’s why quality of service should be about reliability and consistency, not just numbers on a speed test app.
This point is reinforced by a Jan. 2025 GSMA study, “Towards Better Mobile Quality of Service in Asia Pacific: Assessing the Role of Regulation.”
GSMA is a global industry body for the mobile sector that works with operators and governments on connectivity and policy.
The report maintains that good network service must be a shared priority of both operators and policymakers, and that a fixation on speed targets can miss what users actually need.
A practical example: the study notes that streaming high-definition video generally needs only around 5–10 Mbps.
Many everyday online activities and even video streaming will work fine at about 10 Mbps. So, the goal shouldn’t be “as fast as possible” everywhere.
The goal should be “fast enough, most of the time,” with fewer dropouts, fewer dead spots, and smoother service during busy hours.
The report also explains, in plain terms, why “quality” is more than speed.
Quality of service is whether the network can support basic needs like calls, messages, and data. Quality of experience is how people feel using it.
A connection can be “fast” but still feel terrible if it’s unstable, keeps buffering, or falters in crowded places.
This is especially relevant to the Philippines. Responsive regulations aren’t limited to policing telcos. The study reminds governments that spectrum decisions, taxes and fees, and policies that slow down tower and fiber builds can all shape service quality—sometimes more than any speed mandate.
We’re an archipelago with dense cities, far-flung islands, mountain terrain, and frequent typhoons. Service quality is shaped by more than operator effort: typhoons, floods, power outages, fiber cuts and theft, right-of-way delays, and local permitting barriers all affect the expansions of quality connectivity infrastructure.
The regional numbers also matter. In ASEAN, which includes the Philippines, average mobile data use per connection was about 12 GB per month in 2023 and is projected to rise to 44 GB by 2030. As people use more video, work apps, and digital payments, and AI, the pressure on networks grows. Users will care less about peak speed and more about steady performance when everyone is online.
A key insight of the study is that strict, strict quality rules—often built around speed targets—have shown little evidence of improving real-world performance across the region.
In some cases, they raise compliance costs and push spending toward monitoring and reporting, instead of network upgrades and coverage expansion. Even harsh penalties can backfire by discouraging investment.
That doesn’t mean “no regulation.” It means smarter regulation. The report urges regulators to work closely with operators and other stakeholders when setting benchmarks, and to consider factors outside operator control before imposing targets and sanctions. Consumer-focused tools can often do more good such as simple service comparison tools, and responsive complaint channels that actually lead to fixes.
We also have to be realistic about digital infrastructure investments. Telcos and ISPs work within internal capital budgets. They are not bottomless wells of funding that can build everything, everywhere, all at once. If policy piles on costly compliance while deployment hurdles remain, the public pays twice: through poorer service today and slower improvements tomorrow.
Government has a role beyond regulating. A hybrid strategy—public investment paired with private rollout—has worked in many countries.
Government funding can help with backbone links, shared facilities, and last-mile connectivity in hard-to-serve areas, while operators focus on expansion, upgrading, and operating networks efficiently.
Done right, this reduces bottlenecks and raises quality where the market alone struggles.
For broadband operators, the message is simple: service quality is paramount.
Resilient networks, backup power, better capacity planning, and honest communication during outages matter as much as speed claims.
For regulators, the goal should be to protect consumers by making service more reliable, and not just chasing the highest speed number.
In the end, broadband speed still matters—but it’s only part of the story.
For Filipinos trying to work, study, do business, and stay connected, real quality means a network that works when it matters most.
