So to ensure that the telecom players deliver their promised internet speed to their subscribers, the state telecom regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission, will start the rollout of its broadband equipment test this month.
Initially, the broadband speed test equipment will be deployed in Metro Manila and other selected provinces to know if the telecom companies deliver at least 80 percent of their promised internet speed to their subscribers.
Because broadband in the Philippines is still in the infancy stage, with about 3 million subscribers, the NTC has been receiving numerous complaints on the poor quality internet services of telcos.
So to address this issue, the NTC will rollout the broadband test equipment and will issue a memorandum circular on broadband speed which mandates the telecom to disclose the minimum broadband speed they delivers to subscribers.
Gamaliel Cordoba told Malaya Business Insight that the NTC will get the latest software they ordered in early May, then after undergoing training, NTC personnel will operate the equipment that will be deployed in selected areas.
"(The rollout will start) within first or second week of May," Cordoba said.
The equipment amounted between P5 million to 6 million. It will rolled out in Metro Manila first.
Last year, the NTC has issued a draft memorandum circular on broadband speed.
Under the memorandum order, NTC mandates the telecom providers to disclosed their minimum broadband speed and deliver at least 80 percent of their promised speed.
The final circular was expected to be released after the regional hearing in Cebu and Davao this month according to NTC.
Globe Telecom Inc, the country’s second largest telecom firm said that their network is ready for the test, given the continues improvement of their network specially on broadband to deliver superior services to its subscribers.
"Yes we are ready for this [broadband test]. We have made many improvements in our network especially in areas of service quality and capacity build. Our recent commercial launch of 4G mobile network – the first in the country, speaks of our commitment to provide superior mobile and internet experience for our subscribers" Yoly Crisanto of Globe’s Corporate Communications Division said.
For this year,
Globe Telecom the country’s second largest telecom firm has invested $500 million to improve the quality and capacity of its mobile network infrastructure throughout the country.
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, meanwhile, has also increased its capex for 2011 to 2012 by 18 percent each year to total of P 67 billion with the anticipated explosion in the demand data services.
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is a high data rate connection to the internet— typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56k modem.
Although various minimum bandwidths have been used in definitions of broadband, ranging up from 64 kbit/s up to 4.0 Mbit/s, the 2006 OECD report is typical by defining broadband as having download data transfer rates equal to or faster than 256 kbit/s, while the United States (US) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as of 2010, defines "Basic Broadband" as data transmission speeds of at least 4 megabits per second (Mbps), or 4,000,000 bits per second, downstream (from the Internet to the user’s computer) and 1 Mbit/s upstream (from the user’s computer to the Internet).
The trend is to raise the threshold of the broadband definition as the marketplace rolls out faster services.
"Broadband penetration" is now treated as a key economic indicator.
Approximately 500 million broadband subscribers were in service in 2010.
To promote economic development and reduction of the digital divide, national broadband plans from around the world promote the universal availability of affordable broadband connectivity.
