APEC Exec: Phl should improve Internet service

CEBU, Philippines - With connectivity among the 21 member economies a concern for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, APEC 2015 Senior Officials’ Meeting chairwoman Laura del Rosario told a press briefing yesterday that the Philippine government should include Internet connection improvement in its planning.

“Internet connection is really necessary for us to move forward,” she said, adding that better Internet would also impact on cyberspace security.

“We should look on how can we improve and expand. The improvement of Internet connection has an impact on education. It will always go back to education,” she added.

Del Rosario said that in the SOM, the big picture that will be discussed is the issue on connectivity.

“Our economies will be connected whether we want it or not. Some people in fact are saying, how open should we be? We are faced now with the realization or the reality that the Internet economy is here, that the digital economy is here. So how can you close an economy when your telecommunications is already opening up the world before your eyes,” she said.

In an InterAksyon report, the Philippines, with just 3.52Mbps, is ranked 160th out of 190 countries in terms of Internet download speed. The country is also at the tail-end of the world’s broadband speed rankings by Ookla, and it not just have the slowest, it also has the most expensive Internet service.

In particular, the median monthly cost per Mbps in the Philippines is P1,187.69, which is considered the most expensive among 64 countries.

Asked if there is one among the 21 APEC member economies willing to invest in the Philippines’ Internet service, Del Rosario said addressing the situation is not about the other APEC members but the Philippines itself.

“(It is) not a matter of who will invest, it will somehow reminds the government that Internet connection is very important. Internet connection is really necessary for us to move forward. I believe that there are many of our Filipino investors, entrepreneurs, who can in terms of investments in the Internet connectivity,” she said.

On the other hand, Del Rosario said the impact of the APEC meetings to communities requires a long term process.

“A meeting will not produce results overnight. I just want you to know this. In 1996, when we hosted APEC for the first time…we worked and supported an agreement called Information Technology Agreement,” she said.

“That ITA (Information Technology Agreement), is the reason why you have iPhones now,” she said.

As to the current APEC meetings, she said how technology can assist to small and medium enterprises would also be looked into.

“We’re talking about…managerial competence and how we can train small and medium enterprises to become better managers of their business so when they scale up, when they can expand their operations because of a bigger market through the Internet economy or e-commerce, they’re also ready for that,” she said. — /RHM (FREEMAN)