A Study on The Internet Connectivity in The Philippines
This study aims to help address concerns about the growing demand of wider bandwidth Internet connection in the Philippines. Using articles and research of international organizations and content from official websites of the Philippine government, this paper has carefully examined the slow Internet connectivity and the high cost that the end users pay for it. This paper suggests that this inefficiency hampers the motivation of users to innovate in a way that could contribute to inclusive growth and the development of an inclusive information society. Through a comparison of the current global ICT situation with the current situation in the Philippines, this paper shows that the country's Internet infrastructure lags behind among those of contemporary developing countries in Asia, particularly in terms of Internet connectivity. In 2015, Thailand had an average Internet speed of 7.4 Mbps, Sri Lanka 7.4, and Malaysia 4.3. Meanwhile, the Philippines had a meager average Internet speed of 2.8 Mbps, placing the country at 104 among 160 countries, with developed countries in Asia such as South Korea (23.6 Mbps) and Singapore (12.9 Mbps) ranking 1 and 12, respectively. Findings show that the lack of competition in the Internet connectivity market, among other reasons, is at the root of the dilemma of slow and costly Internet connection. Assessing the accomplishments of the Republic of Korea and other broadband leading countries has provided practical insights and recommendations that can promote competitiveness. Furthermore, related literature argues how ISP practices may affect Internet speed and cost. This study offers an approach in improving Internet connectivity in the Philippines by bridging the gap between the Internet infrastructure market and government policies.