National Telecommunications Commission

Sen. Bam: Drive down price of PH internet, encourage competition in telco sector

Competition will help lower the price and improve the quality of internet service in the country, Senator Bam Aquino maintained.

“Nalulunod na nga sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin, pati internet napakamahal dito sa atin. Mahal na nga, mabagal pa,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.

“We need more than three telcos to have a healthy competition. We should look at other countries aside from China,” added Sen. Bam.

As chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, Sen. Bam is currently working on Senate Bill No. 171 or the Open Access in Data Transmission Act of 2016.

If enacted into law, Sen. Bam said the will enable more players into and promote competition in the internet industry.

Sen. Bam has been working to improve the quality of internet in the country. In the 16th Congress, he spearheaded an investigation into the slow and expensive internet in the country during his stint as chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

The probe helped determine needed legislation to address the internet problem in the country and led to the release of a Department of Justice opinion on telco advertising.

The hearing also compelled the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to come out with guidelines on minimum internet speeds and conducted speed testing in various areas of the Philippines to check compliance of telcos.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Sen. Bam pushed for the passage of Republic Act 10929 or the Free Internet Access Program in Public Places as principal sponsor.

Senate Bill No. 701: Penalties or Fines Against Erring Public Telecommunications

For years, Filipinos have been suffering from slow and expensive Internet as they struggle to communicate with loved ones living abroad, forge deals with potential business partners and clients around the world, or simply get work done and sent quickly and efficiently.

Our collective frustrations over our country’s Internet quality has been justified by studies on Internet speed and cost per country, putting the Philippines as slowest and most expensive in the region.

Being the fastest growing economy in the ASEAN, this is clearly unacceptable and measures to improve our Internet quality while driving down its cost must be prioritized.

One of the many steps we must take is to update current policies to ensure that Internet providers are held accountable for their activities.

Thus, this measure seeks to empower the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) by increasing the penalties and fines for violations against the authority of the NTC and its released certificates, orders, decisions, resolutions, or regulations. With heavier penalties, NTC can expect greater compliance from Internet providers to standards and regulations that have been set to advance Internet quality in the Philippines.

Now, with the promise and potential of innovations coming from all corners of the world, we must band together to create a framework for the constant improvement of our internet services for the benefit of all Filipinos, especially those engaged in commerce.

When it comes to public services, we must do more than just keep up with the development of our neighbors, but exceed them. Let us band together to significantly improve our Internet services in the Philippines

In view of foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.

PDFicon DOWNLOAD SBN 701

SBN-3208: Increasing Penalties on Erring Telcos

 

For years, Filipinos have been suffering from slow and expensive internet as they struggle to communicate with loved ones living abroad, forge deals with potential business partners and clients around the world or simply get work done and sent quickly and efficiently.

 

Our collective frustrations over our country’s internet quality has been justified by studies on Internet speed and cost per country, putting the Philippines as slowest and most expensive in the region.

 

Being the fastest growing economy in the ASEAN, this is clearly unacceptable and measures to improve our Internet quality while driving down its cost must be prioritized.

 

One of the many steps we must take is to update current policies to ensure that internet providers are held accountable for their activities.

 

Thus, this measure seeks to empower the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) by increasing the penalties and fines for violations against the authority of the NTC and its released certificates, orders, decisions, resolutions, or regulations. With heavier penalties, NTC can expect greater compliance from Internet providers to standards and regulations that have been set to advance Internet quality in the Philippines.

 

When it comes to public services, we must do more than just keep up with the development of our neighbors, but exceed them. Let us band together to significantly improve our Internet services in the Philippines.

 

In view of the foregoing, the passage of this measure is earnestly sought.

 

 

Bam Expects NTC’s MC on Mobile Broadband to be Fair for Everyone

Senator Bam Aquino expects the National Telecommunications Commission’s memorandum circular (MC) on advertised speed of mobile broadband Internet to be fair for everyone.

“With 90 percent of our Internet users connect from mobile broadband, we need to ensure that this memorandum circular will be a win-win solution for everyone,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, referring to the MC that will be released in November.

“Inaasahan natin na makukuha ng taumbayan ang bilis na ibinibida sa mga patalastas at ads,” Sen. Bam, who has continued to spearhead the Senate investigation on the slow and expensive Internet connection in the country.

Earlier, the NTC released Memorandum Circular No. 07-08-2015 for fixed-line broadband internet, such as DSL, fiber, and cable.

The MC states that broadband must have data connection speed of at least 256 kilobits per second (kbps) – the standard of the International Telecommunications Union.

Based on the memorandum circular, Sen. Bam said consumers may file a complaint against a telco if it fails to deliver the promised advertised speed.

Also, Aquino said the government must put premium on improving the country’s Internet infrastructure, especially in far-flung areas to give more Filipinos access to the world wide web.

Bam to NTC: Explain Delay in MC on Internet Standards

Where are we in improving the country’s Internet connection service?

Senator Bam Aquino made this pronouncement to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), as he wondered why the agency has not yet issued the memorandum circular on the quality of Internet standards.

“Six months have passed since the NTC committed to come out with the memorandum circular but until now, the agency has yet to deliver on its promise,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“The NTC must provide a detailed and acceptable report on its recent moves to improve the country’s Internet connection service as the approval of their 2016 budget heavily depends on that,” added Aquino.

Appointed recently as one of the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Sen. Bam is tasked to scrutinize and approve the budget of several government agencies, including the NTC, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA)

For almost a year now, Sen. Bam has been investigating the slow and expensive Internet in the country.

During one of the hearings earlier this year, the NTC promised to release a memorandum circular that will set Internet quality service in the country, including the minimum speed for broadband and DSL connections.

Six months after, the NTC has yet to deliver on its commitment, which Sen. Bam described as detrimental to the welfare of millions of Internet user in the country.

The committee hearing though has produced small victories that may help achieve a faster and cheaper connection.

The probe has encouraged telecommunication companies to embrace IP peering that will help speed up opening of websites while the Department of Justice (DOJ) has released guidelines against deceptive or misleading internet print, TV and radio advertisements.

 

Stakeholders Should Work for Better Internet Service – Sen. Bam

We want to build, not blame.

With this, Senator Bam Aquino called on stakeholders to work together to make sure consumers get what they’re paying for and give them the best Internet service possible.

“It’s about getting all the groups together. In the Philippines, all of our major problems only get solved when everyone comes together to solve it,” said Aquino during a television interview.

“We need to really work together to make sure consumers get what they’re paying for and get to a place where their Internet is really functioning at a satisfactory level or the best level possible,” the senator added.

Aquino said the momentum of the country’s economic growth, which is the largest in the ASEAN region, would be for nothing because of the poor and expensive Internet service.

“We have the highest growth in the whole ASEAN. We’re going from developing to developed country in the next ten to fifteen years. We cannot do that with poor Internet service,” Aquino emphasized.

At the same time, Aquino called on the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to chart the roadmap that will lead to a faster, cheaper and more Internet availability for more Filipinos.

“The NTC should be empowered to create this roadmap for better services for Filipinos because there is a lot of public interest here. That’s where I think the collaboration can be better so we can see this roadmap forward,” Aquino stressed.

Aquino is also considering a department-level body that will oversee the state of Internet in the country.

Presently, Aquino said several government agencies — Department of Science and Technology (DOST), NTC and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – focused on the issue of Internet in the country.

“We should put all of these functions together to a department that corresponds to the information age that were in right now,” Aquino said.

Scroll to top