Telcos, gov't urged to set minimum Internet speed in accordance with int'l standards

Before an Internet service can be dubbed “broadband,” it needs to reach a minimum speed set by the government, said a coalition of non-government organizations in their position paper regarding the upcoming Memorandum Circular (MC) on Minimum Broadband Speeds of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

 

In their paper, they said that the NTC, DTI, and DOJ should set a minimum Internet speed before telcos and Internet service providers (ISPs) can advertise their services as broadband Internet, citing the suggestion of Atty. Roy Ibay of Smart Telecommunications in a public hearing on broadband.

 

The groups behind the position paper are the Philippine Web Designers Organization (PWDO), Game Developers Association of the Philippines (GDAP), Philippine Game Developers Community (PGDC), Philippine Flash ActionScripters (Phlashers) and Philippine Internet Freedom Alliance (PIFA).

  Position Paper on NTC Memorandum Circular on Minimum Broadband Speeds - July 21, 2015c Broadband Position P... by object404

 

“We are in agreement that we adopt ITU (International Telecommunication Union) standards,” the groups said, but instead of the 256 kbps mentioned by Ibay, they recommend that we should adopt a minimum of at least 1.5-2 mbps or better. This is following the September 2003 ITU recommendation I.113.

 

Also pointed out is the fact that the “Internet landscape of 2015 is a far cry from the Internet landscape of 2003.” According to the paper, the average size of webpages in 2015 is around 1-3 MB, 10 times the size of webpages in 2003.

 

“It is unfair of telcos and ISPs to advertise products such as ‘4G wireless broadband’ or ‘DSL broadband’ if they can only deliver 2G speeds (256 kbps) and can hardly provide a ‘broadband’ experience,” the paper said. — TJD, GMA News