Recent Ookla Speedtest Global Index Report indicates that the Philippines’ average download speed for fixed broadband improved by 216.94% from 7.91Mbps (July 2016) to 25.07Mbps (July 2020), while its average download speed for mobile broadband also improved by 127.82% from 7.44Mbps (July 2016) to 16.95Mbps (July 2020).
The steady improvement in internet speed is a welcome development after President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the country’s leading telcos to improve their services by yearend in his latest State of the Nation Address (SONA).
To further improve internet connectivity and access in our country, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) lauded the local government units (LGUs) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for expressing their support in reducing permitting requirements and procedures for the construction of cell towers, thus allowing as faster rollout of telecommunications towers.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año recently reported that 1,502 out of 1,930 pending applications for tower construction for the year 2020 have already been approved by LGUs.
Third telco player DITO Telecommunity, whose roll-out has been delayed due to the COVID pandemic, is currently building 1,300 cell towers as part of its fulfilment to provide 27Mbps to 37% of the country.
DITO claims that 300 towers are already operational and that it is planning to have 2,000 towers constructed within the year.