Is slow internet the result of bad politics?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Rizal Philippines
January 4, 2016

Why is intenet so slow in the Philippines by Leticia Ramos Shahani Philstar 10/24

Indifferent public?

An indifferent public (the very poor readership and response of the netizens to this blog is an evidence.  Only 500 pageviews in more than 6 months?), poor regulations with privatization, monopoly all translate into poor and costly service for internet.  The author at Philstar has  included I all the factors that I have discussed in this site.

Monopoly (or duopoloy) are the culprits?

The monopoly invests so little in improving the backbone.  Still are copper wires and are touted to VIX in HK.  It does not go into peering (peering is free use of each other network to distribute signals or data)  As it is the monopoly is a toll monopoly.  All traffic that passes through its network is tolled

Let us repeat that Akami ranked PHL as 3rd slowest in the countries in Asia that were ranked.  The Phil 3 mbps costs as much as I Gbps in Singapore  at $36.01.  Oh yes, such is available in the Philippines at a hefty price from both Globe and PlDT at $368 per month or P20,000.  Yes it is all about profit and they want more. I thought internet or IT was the land of the free...

The regulators at their best even as mandated by law are comfortable with the powerful monopoly/business leaders.  While in other countries, the minimum speed was upped from 4 to 20 mbps, our regulators outshone them by setting the minimum speed for 256 mbps.  How sad?  The open competition espoused by FVR resulted in more telcos, more competition. But then, as regulators allowed the industry to contract by M and A, we are left with two telcos only that the NTC could not seem to regulate, it is the other way around. Here is a case of privatization, deregulation gone bad.  Did wristband have anything to do with this?

Baka the telco regulators naman maawa kayo sa publico. This post took me 1/2 day to complete. Hindi lang naman ito ginagawa ko.

Testing the internet speed.

I checked the internet speed test of Ookla (sponsored by Smart) and found out that my download speed was 3 Mbps while the upload speed was only 300 kbps which is of course higher than the required minimum speed of NTC of only 256 kbps.  Blame the regulators.(mabuti kamo di 28 kbps ang ginawang minimum)

You can check your internet speed by going to the sidebar and clicking the link.

Is the solution of our slow internet in the PHL in the skies?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Philippines, January 4, 2016

From WSJ - the future of internet is up in the skies

If our local business and govt leaders cant solve our slow internet problems quick, can we wait for high technology, or even the heavens to provide us with the answer.  There are three promising answers.

Three billion of the worlds 7 billion people have access to internet, meaning to say that more than 50% are not netizens.

The skies seem to be part of the solution:

1.  The current satellite technology.   Intelsat the largest provider of satellite services is working hard to provide internet to merchant marine and airplanes.   There are two problems with satellite:   you have low altitude satellite but you require more (like the Iridium project at 432 miles above the earth but  with 66 satellite) or you can have less with higher altitude say 23,000 miles up with geostationary orbit, and you need only three but there is a latency problem (delay) that does not contribute to the customer experience.  But there are new launch technology for satellite that makes them more likely to provide better internet service vs the land and sea based system.

2. The loon and the stationary drone project of FB and Google

The loon by Google consist of helium balloons that are 12 miles high in the stratosphere that beam signals in remote areas of the world, like Africa.  The cost of helium balloons/per would be 10% or even 1% of satellite cost.  We hope Google will do this soon.

The FB stationary drone project consist of drones powered by solar that are as big as 737 that does the same as the loon project of Google.  Of course we know that FB and Google will try to promote their own content and services.

FB to test its Aquila drones

But we see hope as competition can probably awaken the monopolies in the Phil to be faster and cheaper.

Can Digong Duterte make internet cheaper and faster in the PHL?

Faster and cheaper internet access for progress

Happy Faster and Cheper Internet in 2016?

Is Davao City Mayor Digong Duterte the man who can do that?  Well he promised to cut the bullshit /red tape in the govt, to make basic economic and governance reforms like speeding up govt processes especially when handling the permits of businessmen. (as somebody, a Senator wannabee in Valenzuela City LGU exec promised)  To do that you need automation and yes faster internet.

Will he as many people imagined have the Death Squad process officials and hard headed business tycoons who stand in the way of the faster internet.  Eh kung magkaroon ng aksidente ang mga helicopter ng tycoons at taga regulate ng telco?   Kumilos kaya sila?   I am sure they do not want DD to become president.

I hope he wins so that the internet service in the PHL will get better?