PHL fixed broadband ranks 81^st out of 177 in Speedtest Global Index

THE Philippines’ fixed broadband improved its rank in the Speedtest Global Index by US internet testing and analysis company Ookla, with an average speed of 46.25 megabits per second (Mbps), placing 81^st out of 177 countries in March.

The country’s average fixed broadband speed in March was up 20.25% from February.

In terms of mobile internet, the country ranked 86^th out of 140 countries, down three points from the previous ranking, with an average download speed of 25.43 Mbps, down from 26.24 Mbps in February.

Leading countries in terms of mobile internet speed are United Arab Emirates (178.52 Mbps), South Korea (170.52 Mbps), Qatar (167.40 Mbps), China (150.40 Mbps), and Saudi Arabia (133.73 Mbps).

The top five countries in terms of fixed broadband are Singapore (234.40 Mbps), Thailand (230.59 Mbps), Hong Kong (224.73 Mbps), Romania (210.82 Mbps), and Monaco (205.44 Mbps).

Vietnam’s mobile internet placed 65^th, down 11 places since February, while its fixed broadband (61.24 Mbps) remained 62^nd.

Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index compares internet speed data from around the world on a monthly basis.

Data comes from the “hundreds of millions of tests” taken by real people using Speedtest every month, it said.

“We have already seen and verified improvements in our telco sector particularly internet performance,” Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio B. Honasan II said at a virtual Pre-State of the Nation Address forum on Monday.

“The country’s average will continue to go up in the coming years,” he added.

He also said there are now “8,453” free WiFi sites in 17 regions, 80 provinces, 1,109 municipalities and 125 cities as of April 16.

His department targets to establish a total of 67,233 WiFi sites by 2022 in public places and government buildings including schools and hospitals. — Arjay L. Balinbin