MANILA, Philippines — Data costs in the Philippines have decreased by two-thirds to nearly P7 per GB, as connectivity coverage and speed improved when the government resorted to real-time analytics to check on telco performance.
In a study, Ookla said mobile data in the country has cheapened by two-thirds to P7.07 per GB to date, from P21.5 per GB in 2023, as telcos competed to offer prepaid packages.
Ookla said broadband speeds have gone up to 108.94 Mbps as of the first quarter, from 89.58 Mbps three years ago, while mobile speeds have risen to 43.8 Mbps, from 25.29 Mbps.
Ookla also pointed out that between 2023 and 2026, telcos have expanded their 5G coverage to 62 percent, from 22 percent. This means more Filipinos were given access to 5G technology that loads websites faster and runs games smoother.
Ookla attributed these gains to the independent monitor and tougher oversight of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The DICT collaborated with Ookla to share real-time data on internet service of Philippine telcos.
“For most of its history, the Philippine government had to take telecoms at their word; providers self-reported their own coverage and performance, leaving DICT without an independent way to verify whether service commitments were actually being met on the ground,” Ookla said.
Ookla provided the DICT with data pooled from its flagship solution Speedtest, giving the agency a granular look into telco performance across more than 1,500 cities and towns.
Similarly, Ookla reported month-on-month analysis to the DICT on internet speed, latency, jitter and consistency, so the agency can spot market trends and service improvements.
The DICT, in turn, maximized the data from Ookla to provide policy proposals to legislators. On its own, the DICT used the data to write rules and regulations on service enhancement, especially for remote and underserved communities.
The DICT also relied on the data as technical evidence when raising poor service with the telcos. The data also feeds into the DICT’s Oplan Bantay Signal, a dashboard that consumers can check to see provider performance.
“Our feedback shared through Oplan Bantay Signal highlights how more reliable connectivity is supporting everyday work and online access,” Ookla said.
Ookla offers free-to-use analyst Speedtest for consumers to check their internet speed, and data solutions like Speedtest Intelligence for enterprises and governments to monitor trends in the connectivity industry.