PH fixed broadband internet speed continues to surge in March

The country’s fixed broadband average download speed for March 2021, as reported by Ookla Speedtest Global Index, registered its highest jump since the beginning of the Duterte administration.

The 7.79Mbps increase in speed from 38.46Mbps last month to 46.25Mbps in March 2021 represents a monthly increase of 20.25% and a 484.70% increase from the country’s download speed of 7.91Mbps back in July 2016.

Mobile network overall performance slightly dipped as the country yielded an average download speed of 25.43Mbps from 26.24Mbps last month.  

The current mobile network performance, however, still represents an increase of 241.80% from its speed of 7.44Mbps back in July 2016. 

The improvement in the country’s internet speed comes after the President’s directive last July 2020 on the need to expedite the facilitation of LGU permits in relation to building cellular towers. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the issuance of permits from July 2020 to March 2021. 

Last March 8, 2021, DITO Telecommunity launched commercially in key areas in the Visayas and Mindanao.  The country’s third major targets its operations to be felt in Metro Manila by mid-2021. 

Further improvement in internet speed is expected as telco market competition intensifies with DITO’s entry.  

Telcos’ performance are being closely monitored after President Duterte agreed that improvements in telco services need to be maintained and the country’s internet speed be eventually at par with the country’s Southeast Asian neighbors.