Philippine internet speed improves in March

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s internet speed saw an improvement last month as streamlined permitting process helped telcos continue with their expansion and upgrades.

Ookla Speedtest Global Index report showed that fixed broadband and mobile median download speeds for the country increased in March compared to the previous month.

Fixed broadband median speed rose by 6.23 percent to 52.16 Mbps from 49.10 Mbps.

Mobile median speed, on the other hand, went up by 3.14 percent as the country yielded a download speed of 19.38 Mbps last month versus 18.79 Mbps in February.

The improvement of the country’s internet speed was largely attributed to the higher number and faster processing of permits, paving the way for telcos to fast-track building infrastructure such as cellular towers and fiber optic network, which are necessary in boosting services and connectivity.

PLDT Inc. and its wireless arm Smart Communications Inc. said they continued to benefit from the streamlining of government permitting guidelines for telecommunications infrastructure, having secured more than 50,000 fixed and wireless permits as of February.

Globe Telecom, for its part, said the huge demand for connectivity prompted the government to heed telcos’ plea for support in network deployment, particularly with the tedious permitting issues.

Last year, the government issued two laws that removed impediments to telco infrastructure projects, namely the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.

Globe said the Department of Public Works and Highways also removed a major bottleneck that prevented telecom service providers from constructing crucial infrastructure projects along national roads.