Name: Monterde, Faith Micah O. Date: Sept.

10, 2019

Student No: 0200014375 Subject: Journalism

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Lawmaker files bill to speed up internet connection

By Faith Monterde

MANILA, Philippines – Second term lawmaker and1-Pacman Representative Mikee Romero

files House Bill 185 called National Broadband Development Act which aims to improve
internet speed and connectivity in the country.

Proponents of the proposed measure aims to upgrade, improve and give a more efficient
information and communication technology (ICT) and broadband services nationwide,
particularly on the unserved and underserved areas. The bill would also install the necessary
infrastructures by establishing a comprehensive broadband control and management framework.
By creating an integrated and automated policy environment that will promote a broad market-
led development of the ICT-enabled services, House Bill 185 will address the problem of slow
internet connection. It also intends to promote the use of modern ICT base mechanisms and
technologies for the enhancement of key public services and promotion of the country’s
problematic election procedures.

 “The state recognizes that it is imperative to prioritize and provide the suitable tools and means
to make way for the needed infrastructure to interconnect government agencies and consolidate
numerous agency data centers that can provide services such as cloud computing web hosting
and server colocation,” Romero said in his explanatory note.

The country’s average mobile internet download speed of 15.06 megabits per second was far
below the global average of 26.12 Mbps and even slower than the 15.2 Mbps registered in
Zimbabwe and war-torn Syria’s 19.48 Mbps. Norway has the fastest mobile internet with a speed
of 67.54 Mbps, followed by Canada, Qatar, the Netherlands and South Korea. In the latest
Speedtest Global Index study, Philippines ranks 103rd among 144 listed countries in terms of
mobile internet speed and in terms of fixed-line internet, the Philippines’ average speed of 19.51
Mbps was also among the slowest as it ranked 101st among 179 countries. The global average is
57.91 Mbps

Source: Edu Punay (The Philippine Star)