Faster internet speeds, broader 5G access, and lower mobile data costs are improving the connected experience for millions of Filipinos who rely on mobile and fixed networks every day. Measuring internet performance across more than 7,600 islands, however, remains a major challenge, particularly across hundreds of cities and municipalities with different infrastructure and connectivity challenges.
The Philippine government’s telecommunications regulator, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), historically relied on provider-reported data to assess network performance across the country. However, without an independent source of data, DICT lacked a consistent way to validate provider-reported performance and measure the real-world impact of national connectivity initiatives.
DICT turned to Ookla® data solutions, including Speedtest Intelligence® and Downdetector®, to independently monitor network performance, benchmark providers, identify underserved areas, and help drive measurable improvements in connectivity across the Philippines.
Situation
For most of its history, the Philippine government had to take telecoms at their word. Providers self-reported their own coverage and performance, leaving DICT without an independent way to verify whether service commitments were actually being met on the ground.
Without an independent baseline, national-level reporting masked what was actually happening in specific cities and municipalities. Slow speeds, unreliable service, and underserved communities could go undetected and unaddressed for years, affecting how Filipinos worked, studied, communicated, and accessed online services.
Ookla gave DICT something it never had before: a consistent, third-party view of real-world network performance across the country, not just a national average. For the first time, DICT could assess how network performance differed from one community to another using independent data rather than provider self-reporting
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