Investment hike for fixed broadband infra still vital

CEBU, Philippines - Despite the expansion of mobile technology, there is still a need to increase investments to develop fixed broadband, a telecommunications executive said.

Emmanuel Estrada, senior vice president for technical services of Globe Telecom, said that mobile data has become the primary means for Filipinos to access the Internet.

But Estrada noted that investments are needed to improve fixed broadband which is highly suitable for access to Internet and data services among homes, schools, offices and businesses.

Citing official data, Estrada said that mobile continues to be the Filipinos' primary means of communication while fixed telephone service has more or less remained flat.

In fact, he said the upward trend in fixed broadband subscriptions is still to continue in the years to come.

There are two ways people connect to the Internet: through a fixed line connection in houses or offices and through mobile broadband. 

Citing a 2015 research of GSMA Intelligence, Estrada explained that mobile technology is well-suited to deliver the required connectivity and content for a digital society.

"This is based on the capabilities of wireless networks to cover a wide area with greater efficiency than many other technologies particularly in emerging countries with underdeveloped fixed network infrastructure and low levels of urbanization," he said.

He further said, quoting the research, that mobile is also well-suited to extend connectivity and improve service delivery to rural areas, reducing the digital divide.

Further investments to improve 3G and 4G infrastructure are needed amid the strong demand for smartphones.

The "G" in 3G and 4G is short for generation; they represent the third and fourth generations of mobile broadband Internet.

Industry executives earlier pointed to government red tape as one of the major reasons slowing down the upgrade of the country's telecommunications infrastructure, thus affecting Internet services.

Estrada said the government must make the permitting process for the telco industry easy to allow infrastructure development faster.

Consumers, for their part, have also been urging telco companies to invest more to improve their services.

The Philippines is known to have one of the slowest Internet speeds in the world. (FREEMAN)