PLDT, Globe gear for data demand as COVID-19 keeps millions in Philippines indoors

MANILA - PLDT Inc and Globe Telecom said Wednesday they were taking steps to meet demand for data and keep connections stable as the 30-day Luzon lockdown forced millions in the Philippines to stay home.

PLDT will offer a free "speed boost" for its fiber subscribers, bringing the minimum internet connection to 25 Mbps until April 30, it said in a statement. 

"We are taking steps to address the need of customers and the public for enhanced internet services during this COVID outbreak," PLDT Inc said.

The boost is expected to meet the "expected greater need for data" of its customers, the telco said.



PLDT's wireless unit Smart Communications also offered free access to official websites starting March 11, it said.

Subscribers can access the Health department's official website, its NCOV tracker, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Philippine Information Agency for free, Smart said.

GLOBE TELECOM

Globe subscribers can also access the official sites of the DOH and the NDRRMC on free data, the telco said.

Globe and TM users who subscribed to KonsultaMD can get in touch with doctors via the 79880 telehealth hotline without any mobile call charges, it said.

The telco cautioned that using websites or apps to download movies or content illegally "hogs bandwidth." Subscribers should be "conscientious" with internet use while most Filipinos are working from home, Globe said. 

Both PLDT and Globe have announced a 30-day payment extensions to settle their monthly bills. 

"Globe believes that the extension of the bill payment will be one less worry for our customers especially during these difficult times," president and CEO Ernest Cu said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

DICT, Facebook to build high-speed internet infra in PH

The Philippine government is partnering with Facebook to build high-speed internet infrastructure in the country. The project can dramatically improve internet speed in the Philippines by 2019. - The World Tonight, ANC, November 15, 2017

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Google super-fast US Internet service spreads

SAN FRANCISCO - Google's super-fast Internet service -- up to 100 times quicker than basic broadband -- is heading for four more US metropolitan areas as the technology titan ramps up pressure on cable service giants.

A Google Fiber program launched nearly five years ago will expand to 18 cities in the Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham areas.

"We can't wait to see what people and businesses across the southeast US do with gigabit speeds," Google Fiber vice president Dennis Kish said in a blog post announcing the expansion Tuesday.

Google Fiber is live in Kansas City, Provo and Austin.

Google is meanwhile working on a new generation of applications designed to capitalize on Internet speeds available using Fiber, but did not disclose details.

"Today, we aren't the only ones talking about gigabit broadband," Kish said.

"From the White House to main street, a chorus of new voices is standing up for speed."

Some US telecommunications firms stepped up with higher-speed Internet plans of their own after Google started weaving Fiber into cities.

Expansion of the Fiber program comes amid media reports that Google is getting ready to sell wireless telephone services directly to US consumers after reaching deals with carriers T-Mobile and Sprint.

The move would have a big impact on the US wireless industry, potentially resulting in price cuts and improved speeds.

Google is already in a powerful position in the wireless world, with its Android operating system running on more than 80 percent of the world's mobile phones.

US cellphone service is currently dominated by Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why Internet is slow in PH

MANILA - Infrastructure limitations remain one of the biggest hurdles in providing faster Internet service to more Filipinos. This was the message of two major telecommunications companies that were invited to a Senate hearing on the issue on Tuesday.

PLDT representative Atty. Ray Espinosa said some P746 billion worth of capital outlay would be needed to provide a minimum of 2mbps Internet speed for households all over the Philippines.

Espinosa said that while their company has made sizable investments in the past years, more needs to be done.

The telcos also insisted that there was currently no way to guarantee minimum Internet speed for mobile devices since this would depend on the demand in a particular area.

Globe representative Engr. Manny Estrada uses EDSA as an example of a "hotspot" that sees increased Internet demand during heavy traffic resulting in a connection slowdown.

Both Globe and PLDT said they see "100 percent" 3G coverage throughout the archipelago by the end of 2014.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said 3G connection in the country is currently at 60 percent.

Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, chairman of the Senate Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship Committee, believes that government should already step in and spend to improve telecommunications infrastructure.

He also zeroed in on the big gap between the minimum and maximum connection speeds advertising by ISPs. Aquino said this was disadvantageous to consumers since their service expectations may not be met.

"Ang sabi rin naman ng DTI na kahit may fine print na ito lang ang minimum speed, ang expectatation ng consumers doon sa advertised speed. We think that companies should only advertise the assured speed," he said.

According to the NTC, Internet is currently a value added service (VAS) as defined by law. As a result, they are unable to regulate the rates set by companies.

However, the Commission said it can regulate the quality of the service -if only they had the proper equipment to do so. The NTC is eyeing the purchase of a P14 million machine to monitor Internet speed in Metro Manila.

But beyond improvements in infrastructure, experts also discussed the need to develop "peering" between Internet networks administered by different groups.

Peering is a system wherein separate Internet networks become interconnected to facilitate a faster and more efficient exchange of data. It also makes for a more secure local Internet network since local data will remain internal to the Philippine network and won't need to be routed elsewhere.

Current network peering appears largely controlled by major telecommunications companies and certain fees are imposed on networks that want interconnection. However, mandatory "free peering" could be another way to speed up Internet service in the country.

PLDT's Espinosa and Globe's Estrada, however, said the fees are justified because of capital investments on their end.

Ultimately, Aquino believes that improving Internet service is a matter of national importance since it has a direct effect on the growth of the economy and the creation of jobs.

"The truth is, this would not happen if the service is already good. It's time that the government step in. This is a priority," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com