Reforms needed in ICT sector, says PIDS

MANILA, Philippines — The government should consider implementing reforms in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, including strengthening the role of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as a regulator, to enable more people to gain access to internet services, according to state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).

In a discussion paper titled “Upgrading the ICT Regulatory Framework:Toward Accelerated and Inclusive Digital Connectivity,” PIDS senior research fellow Ramonette Serafica and research specialist Queen Cel Oren said while there have been recent policy changes in the sector including the removal of foreign equity restrictions in telecommunications, more reforms are still needed as the country’s internet performance continues to lag behind its neighbors in Southeast Asia and other countries of the same level of development.

“The Philippines falls short of the affordability target for broadband services of less than two percent of monthly GNI (gross national income) per capita by 2025 set by the UN Broadband Commission,” the authors said.

Last year, the most affordable broadband service in the country was the data-only mobile broadband, which was at 2.04 percent of GNI per capita, while fixed broadband was the most expensive at 11.56 percent.

In terms of access, the authors said only 17.7 percent of Philippine households were connected to the internet in 2019, placing the country behind neighbors Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam and Cambodia.