Latest Ookla report: Speed of broadband in PH ‘improving’

September 11, 2017 at 10:36

The country’s broadband speed is “significantly improving,” according to Ookla’s latest Speedtest Global Index report.

Ookla, a global firm specialized in internet testing and analysis, claimed that for fixed broadband, the Philippines’ average download speed has gone up 57 percent year-on-year (YoY), at 12.43 Mbps. Furthermore, the country’s average upload speed doubled from 2016, posting 111 percent growth to date, at 10.37 Mbps.

The Speedtest Global Index was based on hundreds of millions of user-initiated tests which Ookla conducted through its Speedtest website. Another independent report confirmed that the country’s Internet speed has “steadily improved”. According to Akamai’s First Quarter, 2017 State of the Internet report, the Philippines registered “the strongest growth in Asia Pacific” in terms of “above 4 Mbps connectivity adoption” at 39 percent adoption rate, growing 26 percent Quarter-on-Quarter and 111 percent YoY. In addition, the same Akamai report stated that higher bandwidth adoption rates more than tripled from 2016.

In terms of above 10 Mbps connectivity adoption, the country showed an 11 percent adoption, growing by 53 percent QoQ and 330 per cent YoY.

On the other hand, for 15 Mbps connectivity adoption rate, the Philippines registered improved adoption rate, at 6.2 per cent, up 72 percent QoQ and 509 percent YoY.

For mobile Internet, the Philippines’ average download speed increased 38% YoY at 10.29 Mbps, while the average upload speed improved by 57% at 5.29 Mbps based also on the latest Speedtest Global Index.

Due to infrastructure underinvestment for fixed broadband, little or no support from the government and permitting issues, the Philippines lagged behind its Asian neighbors in terms of global average in terms of fixed broadband adoption and speed.  “The local telco industry has to address huge infrastructure gaps,” according to Globe Telecom Senior Vice President Martha Sazon. “The Philippines is unique in that spending for ICT (Information and Communications Technology) infrastructure is mostly private sector-led.”

Despite the setbacks, “We are pleased to see the Philippines climbing up to double digit in terms of internet speed,” she hastened to add. “We are optimistic that as home broadband plans become more and more affordable, broadband adoption will grow.”  By 2020, the telco targets to serve two million homes with high-speed internet. So far, Globe has deployed over 260,000 high-speed broadband lines in 2016 and projects to deploy 400,000 high-speed lines by this year-end.

Source: https://business.mb.com.ph/2017/09/01/latest-ookla-report-speed-of-broadband-in-ph-improving/