The country’s fixed broadband speed has improved while mobile internet speed was slightly down in January compared to the month before, according to Ookla’s latest data.
Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index report showed an increase in fixed broadband download speed to 88.13 megabits per second (Mbps) from the 87.13 Mbps registered the prior month.
The latest download speed represents an improvement of 26.4 percent since the Marcos administration began in July 2022.
Mobile median speed, on the other hand, slightly dipped as the country yielded a download speed of 24.6 Mbps from 25 Mbps the month before.
However, the latest mobile download speed represents an improvement of 9 percent since the start of the Marcos administration in July 2022.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said it continues to work with Starlink Internet Services Philippines Inc. to expedite the company’s commercial rollout by the second quarter of the year.
“We look forward to Starlink’s commercial availability this year to further improve internet speeds in the country,” said Ella Blanca Lopez, NTC commissioner.
In compliance with the existing laws and regulations, NTC deemed approved the request of Starlink that its StarlinkUser Terminals be classified as customer premise equipment and not to subject the same to radio station licensing as it nears its commercial rollout.
NTC further said the streamlining and speeding up of the issuance of local government unit permits in July 2020 generated a significant increase in permits granted to telcos from July 2020 to December 2022.
Improvement in internet speed is largely attributed to this development as telcos are able to fast-track building infrastructure such as cellular towers and fiber optic network necessary in boosting services and connectivity.
