Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT REQUIRING ALL PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTITIES AND INTERNET SERVICE 
PROVIDERS TO INCREASE SERVICE COVERAGE AND DELIVER A MINIMUM STANDARD FOR 
INTERNET CONNECTION SPEED 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Sec. 17, Art. II of the 1987 Constitution states that “The State shall give priority to education, science and 
technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress, and 
promote total human liberation and development.” 
The Covid- 19 pandemic has exposed why access to the internet is a human right. Thus, there is a need to 
bolster public access to it. To be competitive, our country has to provide better internet access to its 
citizens.  
The Philippines has numerous roadblocks that prevent us from reaching our potential in terms of 
technology. The government must do its part to remove these roadblocks for us to empower numerous 
sectors in the country.  
The government must protect the right to internet access because in a democratic society people must be 
able to access the Internet to exercise and enjoy their rights to freedom of expression and other 
fundamental human rights. The State is responsible for ensuring that Internet access is broadly available 
and that it may not unreasonably restrict an individual's access to the Internet. 
This bill aims to provide fast, reliable, and affordable internet connectivity across the country. 
On behalf of the people of Parañaque City’s Second District, and for the common good of the Filipino 
people, the approval of the said measure is earnestly sought. 
REP. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
2nd District, Parañaque City 
September 30, 2022
9:27 am
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _______ 
Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING 
AN ACT 
REQUIRING ALL PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTITIES AND 
INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS TO INCREASE SERVICE COVERAGE AND DELIVER A 
MINIMUM STANDARD FOR INTERNET CONNECTION SPEED 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "Better Internet Act". 
SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. — The State recognizes the importance of 
technological advancements in nation building, economic development, and promoting 
people's well-being and as such, it endeavors to ensure the provision of strategic, 
reliable, cost-efficient, and citizen-centric information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, 
systems, and resources to guarantee that the population has access to quality, reliable, and affordable ICT 
services. 
In line with this, the State shall ensure that all Public Telecommunications 
Entities (PTEs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will continuously upgrade their facilities and improve 
their services to be responsive to the growing demand for quality Internet access services. 
SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — As used in this Act, the following terms are defined as follows: 
a) Bandwidth shall refer to the data transfer rate or the amount of data that can be carried from one point
to another in a given period expressed in bits per second or multiples of it; 
b) Broadband shall refer to high-speed Internet service that is always on and faster than traditional dial-
up access transmitted through various wired or wireless data transmission technologies such as, but not 
limited to, digital subscriber line (DSL), 9 cable modem, fiber optic cable, fixed wireless, satellite, cellular 
mobile, TV white space, and other evolving and emerging technologies as may be developed in the future; 
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c) Cellular towers shall refer to passive telecommunication tower infrastructure, 
including, but not limited to, three-legged or four-legged structures, poles, mast, or similar infrastructure 
used to support mobile cellular network facilities; 
 d) Compliance period shall refer to the first two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act within which all 
ISPs and PTEs are required to comply with the minimum broadband download speeds outlined in this Act; 
 e) Greenfield Service Area refers to a barangay where an ISP is completely absent or that has an internet 
connection but does not reach an average minimum broadband speed of two (2) megabits per second 
(MBPS) or as prescribed by the DICT, whichever is higher; 
 D Internet Service Providers or ISPs shall refer to an entity, with or without a Congressional franchise, 
registered as a value-added service (VAS) provider from the National Telecommunications Commission 
(NTC) and authorized to build, install, operate, and maintain an internet network to offer Internet access 
services to the public for compensation; 
 g) Jitter shall refer to the variation of an end-to-end delay from one packet to the next within the same 
packet stream, connection, or flow; 
h) Latency shall refer to the time it takes for a packet of data to get from a 
source to destination; 
 i) Packet shall refer to the unit of data that is routed between an origin or source and a destination on 
the Internet or any other packet-switched network; j) Packet Loss shall refer to the number of packets 
that do not reach the destination; 
 k) Service reliability or Uptime refers to the delivery of a certain percentage of advertised speed to a 
subscriber over a given time; 
l) Public Telecommunications Entity or PTEs shall refer to any person, firm, 
partnership or corporation, government or private, engaged in the provision of 9 telecommunications 
services to the public for compensation; 
m) National ICT Household Plan refers to the plan for the improvement of ICT access and use, including 
broadband access, by households and individuals developed by the Department of Information 
Communications Technology (DICT) based on information gathered from the National ICT Household 
Survey; 
 n) Threshold Speed refers to minimum upload and download speeds that an ISP or PTE must provide to 
their end user as entry-level broadband service; 
o) Unserved Area refers to a specific population or land area of a 
city/municipality where broadband access set-vice is not available, as identified by the 
National ICT Household Plan; 
p) Underserved Area refers to a specific population or land area of a city/municipality where broadband 
access service is covered and available, but below 
 the threshold speed. The underserved areas shall be identified by the National ICT Household Plan while 
the threshold speed shall be determined by this Act and, 
subsequently, by the NTC. 
 


 
SEC. 4. Increase in service coverage. — The NTC shall require all ISPs and PTEs 
to extend and expand the service coverage of wired and wireless broadband service in all unserved and 
underserved areas in the Philippines within two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act (the "Compliance 
Period"), according to the schedule and 
strategy to be set forth by the DICT in the National ICT Household Plan. 
The DICT shall develop the National ICT Household Plan, identify unserved and underserved areas in the 
Philippines and devise a plan of action to ensure Internet services are available at the household level. The 
DICT shall make such information and plans public within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act: 
Provided, That subject to regulatory requirements, ISPs shall be allowed to own, establish, and operate 
wired and wireless networks, utilizing any available technology, to meet their obligations under this Act. 
ISPs shall be allowed access to unlicensed radio spectrum necessary to enable them to utilize wireless 
technologies to provide Internet service: Provided, Further, ISPs shall not build an international carrier, 
inter-exchange carriers, local exchange carriers, and mobile radiotelephone networks reserved for PTEs, 
as provided for in Republic Act No. 7925, otherwise known as the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of 
the Philippines. 
 
 SEC. 5. Delivery of Advertised Speeds. — Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, the NTC is 
hereby mandated to require all PTEs and ISPs to only advertise and offer internet set-vice download speeds 
that they can consistently provide and work towards providing an average internet connection speed above 
the global average. PTEs and ISPs shall deliver at least eighty (80%) percent of advertised broadband 
speed to their subscribers at eighty (80) percent service reliability or at least eighty (80) percent of the 
time: Provided, That the entry-level broadband connection speed offered by ISPs or PTEs to subscribers 
shall not be lower than the following: 
a) Twenty (20) Megabits per second (Mbps) for wired broadband and ten (10) 
Mbps 
for 
wireless 
broadband in metropolitan cities; 
b) Ten (10) Mbps for wired broadband and five (5) Mbps for wireless broadband 
services in all other cities; and 
c) Five (5) Mbps for wired broadband and two (2) Mbps for wireless broadband services in rural areas. 
 PTEs and ISPs shall have two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act to ensure that they provide, as a 
minimum, the above threshold speeds to their end-users; Provided, That PTEs and ISPs will expand 
coverage and offer internet services in "Greenfield Service Areas" or previously unserved and underserved 
areas, as identified by the DICT, shall not be subjected to the minimum download speed for the next five 
(5) years. 
The NTC shall conduct a regular review of technological advancements in the field of communications and 
data transmission to determine the necessity of adjusting 
 the minimum speed standards set in this Act: Provided, That internet speed and service reliability of 
internet connections delivered by service providers shall be measured based on the methodology 
prescribed by the NTC. 


 
After the end of the compliance period, it shall be considered a violation of this Act, subject to the penalties 
provided in Sec. 15 of this Act, to offer paid Internet service below the threshold speed. For the avoidance 
of doubt, there shall be no minimum speed required for free Internet service: Provided, however, that 
service 
provided under the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act or RA 10929 shall meet the minimum speeds 
prescribed therein or in the relevant rules of the DICT for free 
Internet service programs. 
 
SEC. 6. Measurement and Publication of Broadband Quality of Service (QOS).  — To monitor and enforce 
compliance of PTEs and ISPs, the NTC shall: 
a) Prescribe, in coordination with DICT, the criteria and methodology for the 
measurement and publication of broadband quality of service, including parameters such as download 
speed, upload speed, latency, packet loss, jitter, and service availability, with appropriate benchmarks, 
after public consultation and hearings within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act; 
 b) Provide the public a mechanism to run broadband diagnostics in a secure and consumer-friendly format; 
c) Develop a procedure for collecting and analyzing broadband QOS 
measurements from various platforms and processing test data in a central database, 
which shall update and release results every 24 hours, at the least; 
d) Make publicly available on the NTC website and other media the criteria and methodology for the 
broadband QOS measurement tool and the list of platforms using the NTC-prescribed broadband 
measurement mechanism; 
e) Review, after the two-year compliance period, the compliance of PTEs and ISPs with the minimum 
download speeds, and prescribe and upgrade on an annual basis, the minimum broadband download 
speed, and QOS standards, on the internet industry to ensure that performance standards shall, at a 
minimum, be at par with service levels established in regional data network performance indices and 
aligned with international best practices. Such QOS standards shall take into account speed, packet loss, 
jitter, latency, and service availability: Provided, That the NTC shall not decrease the minimum speeds 
outlined in this Act: Provided, Further, That new performance standards shall be published at least thirty 
(30) days before they take effect. 
 f) Diligently monitor and conduct monthly network audits and/or QOS tests to ensure compliance of the 
PTEs and ISPs with threshold speeds, advertised speeds, and coverage obligations, and publish network 
audit reports every month; and, 
g) Publish the results of all the NTCs network audits, broadband QOS tests, and the results of the consumer 
broadband QOS tests on their official website and 
social media accounts every month, and furnish a copy of the same to the DICT.  Such reports should be 
in a format that can easily be analyzed by third-party data 
scientists. 


 
 
SEC. 7. Responsibilities of the DICT. — In addition to responsibilities imposed in other sections of this Act, 
the DICT shall: 
a) Maintain and make public a National ICT Assets Index (NICTAI), which shall be updated on an annual 
basis, to provide accurate data on broadband 
coverage and ICT adoption and utilization in the country; 
b) Conduct the National ICT Household Survey and publish the National ICT Household Plan every three 
(3) years, and identify unserved and underserved areas for purposes of this Act; 
c) Regularly review and update ICT policy guidelines, strategies and plans, including, but not limited to, 
the National Broadband Plan to ensure that the Philippines' Internet service policy framework is at par 
with global standards and best practices; and 
d) Ensure the delivery of Internet services at the household level through a schedule and plan of action 
that includes, but is not limited to, infrastructure sharing 
and co-location arrangement; 
 
SEC. 8. Responsibilities of the NTC. — In addition to responsibilities imposed in  other sections of this 
Act, the NTC shall: 
(a) Ensure that PTEs and ISPs meet the minimum standards regarding connection, reception, just pricing, 
and billing practices to promote and 16 protect the rights of consumers of Internet services; 
(b) Determine whether the ICT industry has built out the optimal number of 
towers and other infrastructure necessary to meet the objectives of this law;  (c) Promulgate an efficient 
and expeditious administrative process for the registration of Internet service providers and shall, in 
coordination with the DICT, develop a set of criteria for qualifying service providers that will encourage 
the widest possible participation of as many industry players as possible who will build the necessary 
network infrastructure and offer Internet set-vices to end users in different parts of the country and will 
take 
national security into consideration, particularly for facilities that interface directly with another country's 
domestic network; 
(d) Publish a spectrum management policy framework that promotes a 
transparent, efficient, and equitable approach to distributing spectrum, including clear guidelines for: (i) 
recalling unutilized spectrum, (ii) reassigning spectrum for more efficient use, and (iii) implementing an 
open 1 frequency approach to expand Internet access in underserved and unserved 2 areas, to be 
developed together with the DICT and the Philippine 
Competition Commission; 
(e) Provide the public with annual reports on the performance of PTEs and ISPs in terms of increasing 
Internet coverage and meeting the threshold download speeds; 


 
(f) Provide policies and standards of network elements to ensure that PTEs and ISPs will maintain the 
Quality of Service (QOS) of the Internet connection they provide to their respective area of coverage; 
(g) Provide for an expeditious mechanism to address consumer complaints on slow Internet speed and 
false advertising of Internet speeds; and, 
(h) Establish an efficient monitoring system or framework for the PTEs and ISPs' management of consumer 
complaints and maintain records 
of subscribers' complaints. 
 
SEC. 9. Reports to Congress. — The DICT and NTC shall submit a quarterly 
progress report to Congress of all acts performed under this Act during the first 18 weeks after the 
immediately preceding quarter for the next two (2) years from the 
effectivity of this Act. 
 
SEC. 10. Streamlining Permitting Requirement. — The DICT and other relevant agencies including, but are 
not limited to, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Public Works and 
Highways (DPWH), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Anti-Red tape 
Authority  (ARTA), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Department of Health (DOH), and the 
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall ensure the streamlining of the permitting process for the 
construction, installation, and operation of 
telecommunications tower and other infrastructure such as, but not limited to, permits for base stations, 
cables, poles, and other work elements necessary' to offer Internet 
service. 
The DICT shall set up a one-stop shop that shall coordinate with other 
regulatory agencies regarding the permitting requirements and applicable regulatory fees for installing 
common towers, cables, poles, and other network elements to facilitate the attainment of the objectives 
of this Act. 
To facilitate the expeditious planning of the country's ICT infrastructure, all PTEs and ISPs are required 
to submit, within fifteen (15) working days upon the request of the DICT or the NTC, a copy of their most 
updated and complete broadband 
network map, enabling the government to draw up incentive plans and opportunities to boost internet 
service and compel the creation of the infrastructure 
essential for overall economic growth. 
 
SEC. 11. Rights of End-Users. — The user of internet services shall have the following basic rights, in 
addition to other rights under existing laws: 
a) To be entitled to internet services that are not discriminatory, reliable, and  
conforming 
with 
minimum standards set by the NTC; 


 
b) To be rendered internet services within two (2) months from application for 
service, in areas where the service is advertised to be available; 
c) Timely correction of errors in billing or prepaid load and the immediate provision of rebates or refunds 
by the service provider without the need for demand by the user; and 
d) Subject to the filing of a formal request to the service provider, a user may 
request the immediate termination of service without the imposition of fees or penalties, and with the 
refund of any fee or charge already paid by the user, should a service provider not consistently comply 
with the preceding paragraphs (a), (c), (d), or any minimum performance standards set by the NTC. 
 
SEC. 12. Local Government Units (LGUs) as Partners in Broadband 
Infrastructure Development. — The LGU shall serve as a strategic partner who shall ensure that all LGU-
related permits and requirements necessary' to expand Internet coverage and improve the quality of 
Internet service shall be acted upon immediately. To ensure that all municipalities and barangays have 
access to Internet facilities, an LGU shall be allowed to build and operate its broadband network in 
partnership 
with PTEs and ISPs. 
 
SEC. 13. Infrastructure Sharing and Co-location. — 
a) The DICT shall promulgate policies, rules, and regulations, in coordination 
and/or jointly with the 
concerned national government agencies 
government owned and operated corporations, and local 
government units,  
to ensure that infrastructure, whether existing or built in the future, is necessary 
or capable of supporting data transmission networks or services: 
 mandatory for open access and made available for co-location and co-use by the owner of network 
facilities, equipment, and infrastructure on an open, fair, and non- discriminatory' basis to any access 
seeker's network facilities; 
 ii. as far as possible, deployed together with roadworks, pipe-laying, and other infrastructure development 
by both government and 
private entities; and 
propagated in the most cost-efficient and timely manner through various means, including encouraging 
the operation of independent entities that build and operate towers, dark fiber, and utility corridors, 
among other infrastructures that help facilitate broadband network deployment. 
b) The DICT shall, in coordination with the Philippine Competition 
Commission and other relevant government agencies promulgate policies, rules, and regulations to ensure 
that buildings, condominiums, villages, towns, and subdivisions are all built with facilities, such as cable 
entrances, ducts, and risers, that allow non-discriminatory and nonexclusive access to multiple service 
providers, for PTEs and ISPs to provide Internet service; 


 
c) In case of a dispute arising from an infrastructure-sharing arrangement, 
the DICT shall: 
i. Coordinate with the regulator of the infrastructure; 
ii. Mediate between a PTE or ISP and an infrastructure owner, which may include a PTE, an ISP, or a public 
service network provider; 
and/or 
Serve as the primary enforcer of this provision. 
d) The DICT shall encourage the use of existing infrastructure, such as those of cable TV operators, to 
fast-track the layout of networks, increase  
coverage, and dress the problem of unserved and 
underserved  
areas; 
e) The regulator of the shared infrastructure shall, in consultation with  concerned stakeholders, 
determine and ensure reasonable rental rates for  
use of shared infrastructure such as, but not 
limited to, utility poles, utility  corridors, and ducts; and  
f) For shared infrastructure 
arrangements, the DICT shall also look into the  following considerations: 
Technical feasibility of the request of access seeker to use 
infrastructure; 
ii. 
Incentives to encourage investment in less commercially viable  areas; 
iii. 
Fair and reasonable rates for shared facilities, depending on the 
location and market size in a particular area. 
All policies, rules, and regulations under this Section shall be operationalized 
within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act. 
SEC. 14. Penalties. — The NTC may, motu proprio or upon complaint of any interested party in the 
appropriate administrative and/or quasi-judicial process, and by due process, shall: 
a) Require any PTE or ISP, who shall not meet the requirements set forth 
under, or shall not comply with the provisions of this Act, to comply with 6 service standards that have not 
been met or provisions of this Act that 
have been violated; 
b) Impose upon entities who do not comply with Internet service standards as laid down by Sections 4 
and 5 of this Act and as prescribed by the NTC: 
The penalty of a fine of not less than two hundred thousand pesos 
(Php200,000.00) but not more than two million pesos 
for each count of violation: Provided, That if a 
the service provider has a gross annual income not exceeding Ten Million 
Pesos the penalty shall be equivalent to one 
percent (1%) to two percent (2%) of its gross annual income; and 


 
ii. 
For repeated violations, revoke the PTE's Provisional Authority or 
Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, or cancel the 
registration of an ISP, whichever applies, including waiving any pre-termination fees of affected subscribers 
and timely disbursement of any remaining from excessive downtime. 
The foregoing is without prejudice to any other remedies available to the NTC 
under existing laws. 
 
SEC. 15. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days after 
the effectivity of this Act, the DICE and the NTC shall issue a Joint Memorandum Circular setting forth the 
rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions 
of this Act. 
 
SEC. 16. Separability Clause. —If any portion or provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional, the 
remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall remain in force and effect. 
 
SEC. 17. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree, or issuance, 
The executive order, letter of instruction, rule, or regulation inconsistent with the provisions 
of this Act is hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
 
SEC. 18. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
complete publication in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,