Makati City Rep. Luis Campos, Jr. wants to penalize telecommunications companies (telcos) that fail to supply faster internet speeds to consumers within fixed deadlines.
Campos is pushing for the institutionalization of this policy through House Bill No. 10215. In his proposal, telcos that are unable to reach compulsory internet speed targets would be slapped with a regulatory fine of up to P1 million per day, or P365 million per year, until they achieve full compliance.
“The Philippines still has one of the slowest average mobile internet speeds in Southeast Asia, and we want to fix this through an act of Congress,” he said in a statement released on Sunday, May 26.
Campos asserted it is “the State’s duty to protect the interest of consumers, including internet users, promote their general welfare, and to establish standards of conduct for business and industry.”
As of April, the Philippines has an average mobile internet speed of only 32.37 Mbps, compared to Thailand’s 45.05 Mbps, Vietnam’s 50.88 Mbps, Malaysia’s 91.69 Mbps, Singapore’s 101.43 Mbps, and Brunei’s 102.41 Mbps, according to the Speedtest Global Index by Ookla.
The Philippines now ranks No. 11 worldwide in absolute number of internet users with an estimated 85 million Filipinos browsing the web, mostly using their mobile phones, or a penetration rate of 74 percent of the population.
Campos seeks to classify internet connection as a basic service within the jurisdiction and regulatory power of the National Telecommunications Commission.
The bill shall amend Republic Act No. 7925 or the Public Telecommunications Policy Law.