A lawmaker representing the youth sector has filed a resolution urging the House of Representatives to look into standards that are supposed to be followed by broadband Internet service providers in the country. Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino filed last week House Resolution 407 asking the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology to conduct an inquiry “on the quality of broadband internet services delivered by commercial telecommunications companies" in the country. Palatino, who used to be a blogger before his youth-based group won a seat in Congress, said consumers continue to complain of problems related to broadband Internet access, including limited area coverage and slow connection speeds. “Most of the promos, packages and features being advertised by broadband providers are deceptive. Thousands of Filipino internet users complain of substandard services, slow internet speed, limited coverage, unfair fees and hidden charges," he said in a statement. He added that the House body should call on the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), telecommunication firms and various consumer groups in its hearing to help Congress draft appropriate laws to address Internet access problems.
“Communications and access to information is a public good… The government should be stricter in monitoring whether services are complying [with] standards," he said.
The Philippines currently has an estimated 30 million Internet users. A recent study by a global media agency said that the Philippines has the highest percentage of Internet users that watch videos online, even though the country has relatively low number of households connected to the web.
