Broadband

It was probably an exaggeration to say that, in Asia, only Afghanistan fared worse than the Philippines in available Internet speeds.

In many of the countries sampled for the study released last year, the sampling was limited to only one area. For the Philippines, 102 areas were included for the tests.

Because of variances in the sampling, the results were surprising. While the Philippines was reported to have an average Internet speed of 3.4 mbps, Bhutan had 7.82 mbps, Laos 6.92 mbps and Bangladesh with an impressive 9.82 mbps.

The glitch lies in the sampling. In the countries where only a single area was sampled, Internet services is likely unavailable or agonizingly slow outside the sampled area. In an archipelago like ours, Internet speeds vary from one area to another.

There are a host of other reasons why Internet service is poor in our country. Constitutional restrictions stymie our access to foreign investments and the technologies they have. Our main regulatory agency needs more powers and fines for underperformance by the telecommunications companies (telcos) are negligible.

Then there is the administrative structure the telcos have to deal with. To set up a single cell site, for instance, they need to secure no less than 25 permits from national and local agencies – including a Radio Frequency Clearance from the Department of Health. Subdivision owners or barangay chairmen sometimes reject construction of cell sites, causing coverage to be spotty.

The gap in Internet speeds with our neighbors will likely widen in the near future. The reason for this is that most countries in the region are investing heavily in national broadband networks (NBNs).

Recognizing the value of lower cost access to the competitiveness of their economy, our neighbors are investing heavily in upgrading their digital capacities.

China is spending a staggering $190 billion for Internet service. Hong Kong, on its own, set aside $7.2 billion to provide free access in 400 locations. South Korea has invested $24 billion for its public backbone and made available $1.7 in cheap loans for private companies building access networks for homes and businesses.

Indonesia is spending $22.1 billion to provide its public affordable Internet services. Cambodia is investing $18 billion to strengthen its digital infra. Thailand increased its ICT spending to $19.8 billion to fund a host of infra projects that will support its “digital economy” program.

Myanmar, for its part, obtained a $31.5 million loan from the WB for its Telecom Sector Reform Project. Bangladesh borrowed $44 million from the Islamic Development Bank to pay its share for a submarine cable.

Singapore is investing $530 million to provide one gbps per second for residential users at only the equivalent of P500 per month. It put up a Digital Inclusion Fund to benefit 8,000 low-income households with digital access.

A few years ago, we were way ahead of our neighbors in attempting to build an NBN. The project was, sadly, scuttled by our poisoned politics and entrenched interests.

It is probably high time to reconsider that project not only to bring down government communications costs but also to transform our educational system on a digital base. An NBN will also provide a benchmark for speed and cost to challenge the telcos to deliver better service.

We now have a Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). We hope, by the time it is fully organized, the DICT will offer us a package of reform measures and far-sighted policies that will at least keep our own “digital economy” abreast with our neighbors.

Gambling

Two weeks ago, President Rodrigo Duterte denounced the on-line gambling business of PhilWeb – a company owned by businessman Roberto Ongpin. Consequently, Pagcor did not renew the company’s license, effectively shutting down its operations.

PhilWeb has not been allowed to operate in Davao City from the start. That is indicative of President Duterte’s attitude towards Internet-based gambling networks. This is indicative of the administration’s attitude towards gambling, especially those that takes money from the poor and delivers huge profits to the operators. In that sense, they are substitutes for traditional forms of illegal gambling such as “jueteng.”

At around the time Duterte called out Ongpin and PhilWeb, Judge A. Florentino Dulao Jr. of the Dagupan City Regional Trial Court issued a writ of preliminary injunction against Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. (MVGC). The injunction was issued on the basis of a petition filed by former MVGC employees Anthony Ang-angco, Alfie Soriano and Joe Millora.

MVGC runs an on-line jai-alai operation throughout the province of Pangasinan. It is a Spanish-owned company officially based at the Cagayan Special Economic Zone (CSEZ). The company’s CSEZ license has, however, already been revoked. That makes MVGC illegal.

In addition, the court ruled, such an operation requires a congressional franchise. The Province of Pangasinan is enjoined to enforce the injunction.

In his ruling, the judge noted: “The national policy is to stamp our the social scourge of gambling. The laws against gambling must be enforced to the limit…”

The injunction, therefore, takes the form of judicial relief against activities that undermine public morals and are inimical to the public interest.

This ruling will have implications for other similar operations, some of them operating out of the CSEZ although they reach out nationwide. This is a case where digital communications technologies are misused for purposes that undermine national progress.

This is a strong precedent for filing petitions against other similar operation in other provinces. It is a strong basis for other local governments to act against the proliferation of on-line gambling.