TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
S. No.
471
25 IIL 14 A1Q34
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
REQUIRING ALL PUBLIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENTITIES AND INTERNET 
SERVICE PROVIDERS IN THE COUNTRY TO INCREASE SERVICE COVERAGE 
AND DELIVER A MINIMUM STANDARD FOR INTERNET CONNECTION SPEED
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Several years ago, the Philippines was named as the country with one of the 
worst internet services in the world. The country had the slowest internet speed, most 
expensive rate and unstable connection. At one point, Philippines ranked at the bottom 
of the list of Southeast Asian countries in terms of speed of internet service.
With government interventions and unrelenting public clamor for better 
services, the situation has indeed improved. In an article published on July 2024, it 
was stated that ”(T)the Philippines' median fixed download performance improved in 
the second quarter to 94.42 megabits per second (Mbps), compared with 91.7 Mbps 
in the same period last year. Quarter-over-quarter, the country also recorded an 
improvement, with a 93.77 Mbps median fixed download performance in the first 
quarter of 2024." However, it was also emphasized that, "(D)despite these gains, the 
Philippines is still lagging behind its neighboring countries, placing third from the 
bottom of the list."1
1 PHL broadband speed improves but still trails behind SEA peers. Ookla savs - BusinessWorld Onlinp
1


This proposed legislation alms to sustain the gains achieved and to further 
enhance the internet sendees in the country, considering the Importance and high 
demand for information and communications technoiogy (ICT) in in our everyday lives.
Specifically, this bill provides the following:
a) Internet service providers (ISPs) and pubic telecommunications entities 
(PTEs) to extend and expand the service coverage of fixed and mobile
Internet service in all unseived and underserved areas in the Philippines 
Within three (3) years;
b) PTEs and ISPs to deliver paid broadband service to subscribers at a
minimum download speed, specific to highly urbanized cities, other cities 
and rural areas;
c) National Telecommunications Commission (WTC) to review the level of
threshold speeds and prescribe the threshold speeds and other quality of
service standards to provide subscribers average internet connection speeds
equal to, or above, what is prevalent among Asia Pacific countries and the 
global average;
d) The streamlining of the permitting process for the construction, installation, 
and operation of telecommunications tower and other infrastructure, such 
as permits for base stations, cables, poles, and other work elements 
necessary to offer internet service.
In light of the foregoing, passage of this bill is recommended.
A.
INGODY EJERCITO ESTRADA


twentieth congress of the
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
LJ
14
;i:0 34
SENATE
S. No.
471
Introduced by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada
AN ACT
SERVICE PROVIDEI^^IN THLEECOUNTJRYITnTTWr S ENTITIES ANt> INTERNET
ANDOEUVERAMIN?M^TTArANRrF0T^™?^^^^^^^^^
Congrt'TJ^Xdf 
^ H°USe of 
at the Philippines in
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Section 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the "Better Internet Act' 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State tecognizes the importance of 
echno,09,001 advancements in nation building, economic development, and promoting 
P Pies we -being and as such, it endeavors to ensure the provision of strategic, 
le, cost-eff,cient, and citizen-centric information and communication technology 
(ICT) mfrastructure systems, and resources to guarantee that the population has 
access to quality, reliable, and affordable ICT services.
EntitiesIrptnFerithH thlS, the State Shal1 enSUre that a" PUbliC Telecommunications 
Ent tes (PTES) and Internet Senrice Providers (ISPs) will continuously upgrade their
aohbes and improve their services to be responsive to the growing demand for quality 
internet access services. 
y
Sec. 3. Definition of Terms. - As used in this Act, the following terms are 
defined as follows;
(a) Bandwidth shail refer to the maximum data transfer rate over an internet
connection in a given amount of time expressed in bits per second or 
multiples of it;


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(b) Broadbands'nsW 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), cable modem, fiber optic cable, fixed wireless, 
satellite, cellular mobile, and TV white space.
(c) Cellular towers shall refer to passive telecommunication tower 
infrastructure, including but not limited to: (i) three-legged or four-legged
structure; (ii) poles; (iii) mast; or, (iv) similar infrastructure used to support 
mobile cellular network facilities;
(d) Compliance period refer to the first three (3) years from the effective date
of this Act within which all ISPs and PTEs are required to extend and expand
internet service coverage in all unserved and underserved areas in the 
country;
(e) Internet Service Providers or ISPs shall refer to an entity, with or without 
Congressional franchise, registered as value added service provider from 
the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and authorized to 
offer internet access sen/ices to the public for compensation;
(0 T/ffecshall refer to the variation of end-to-end delay from one packet to the 
next within the same packet stream, connection, or flow;
(g) latency shall refer to the time it takes for a packet of data to get from a 
source to destination;
(h) 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;
(I) Packet Loss shall refer to the number of packets that does not reach the 
destination;
0) Public Telecommunications Entity or PTEs shall refer to any person, firm, 
partnership or corporation, government or private, engaged in the provision 
of telecommunications services to the public for compensation;
(k) National ICTHousehold 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 and Communications


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Technology (DICT) on the bases of information gathered from the National 
ICT Household Survey;
(l) Threshold Speed refers to the minimum upload and download speeds that 
an ISP and PTE must provide to their end user of broadband service;
(m) Unserved Area refers to a specific population or land area of a city / 
municipality where broadband access service is not available, as identified 
by the National ICT Household Plan;
(n) Unserved Area refers to a specific population or land area of a city / 
municipality where broadband access senrice is covered and avaiiable, but 
below the threshold speed. The underseived 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 fixed and mobile internet service in all
unserved and underserved areas in the Philippines within three (3) years from the
effective date of this Act, hereinafter referred to as 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 therein 
unserved and underseived areas in the Philippines and devise a plan of action to 
ensure internet services shall be made available at the household level. Tfte DICT 
shall make such information and plans public within sixty (60) days from the effective 
date 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 in order 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, That ISPs shall not 
build international carrier, inter-exchange carrier, local exchange carrier, and mobile 
radio telephone networks reserved for PTEs, as provided for under Republic Act No. 
7925, otherwise known as the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines.
Sec. 5. Threshold Speeds. - PTEs and ISPs shall deliver paid broadband service 
to subscribers at a minimum download speed of:


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(a) 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) for fixed broadband and 5 Mbps for mobile 
broadband in highly urbanized cities;
(b) S Mbps for fixed broadband and 3 Mbps for mobile broadband senrices in 
all other cities; and,
(c) 3 Mbps for fixed broadband and 2 Mbps for mobile broadband services in 
rural areas.
PTEs and ISPs shall have three (3) years from the effective date of this Act to
ensure that they provide, as a minimum, the threshold speeds to their end users.
After the end of the compliance period, it shall be considered a violation of this
Act, subject to the penalties provided in Section 15 of this law, to offer paid internet
service below threshold speed. For the avoidance of doubt, there shali be ho minimum
speed required for free internet service; Provided, however. That service provided
under the Free Internet Access in Public Places Art 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. Annual Review of Service Standards. - The NTC shall review, on an 
annual basis, the level of threshold speeds and prescribe the threshold speeds and 
other quality of service standards, such as upload and download speeds, packet loss, 
jitter, latency, and service availability, to provide subscribers average internet 
connection speeds equal to, or above, what is prevalent among Asia Pacific countries
and the global average: Provided, That the NTC may not decrease the threshold 
speeds set forth under this Act.
Sec. 7. Measurement and Publication and Broadband Quality of Service (QOS).
- In order to monitor and enforce compliance of PTEs and ISPs, the NTC shall:
(a) Prescribe a 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;
(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


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database, which shall update and release results every twenty four (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) Diligently monitor and conduct monthly network audits and/or QOS tests in 
order to ensure compliance of the PTEs and ISPs with threshold speeds,
advertised speeds, and coverage obligations, and publish its network audit 
report on a monthly basis; and,
(0 Publish the results of the NTC's broadband QOS tests and the results of the 
consumer broadband QOS tests on a monthly basis. Such reports should 
be in a format that can easily be analyzed by third party data scientists.
Sec. 8. Customer Protection. - PTEs and ISPs shall not advertise nor offer 
internet service speeds that they cannot consistently provide. PTEs and ISPs shall 
provide to their subscribers 80% of their advertised speed available at 80% of the
time. Speed and reliability shall be measured based on the prescribed measurement 
methodology by the NTC.
Sec. 9. 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, in order 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 arrangements.


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Sec. 10. Responsibilities of the NTC. - In addition to responsibilities imposed in 
Other Sections of this Act, the NTC shall:
(a) ensure the PTEs and ISPs meet the minimum standards regarding 
connection, reception, just pricing, and billing practices to promote and 
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 services 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: (1) recalling unutilized spectrum, (il) 
reassigning spectrum for more efficient use, and (iii) implementing an open 
frequency approach to expand internet access in underserved and unserved 
areas, to be developed together with the DICT and the Philippine 
Competition Commission (PCC);
(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,


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(h) establish an efficient monitoring system or framework with regard to the
PTEs and ISPs' management of consumer complaints and maintain records 
Of subscribers' complaints.
Sec. 11. Reports to Congress. - The DICT and NTC shaii submit a quarterly
progress report to Congress of all acts performed pursuant to this Act during the first 
week of the immediately preceding quarter.
Sec. 12. Streamlining Permitting Requirements. - The DICT and other relevant
regulatory agencies including, but not limited to, the Department of the Interior and
Local Government (DILG), the 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 in order 
to facilitate the attainment of the objectives of this Act.
Sec. 13. Local Government Units (LGUs) as Partners in Broadband
Infrastructure Development - The LGU shall senre as a strategic partner who shall
ensure that all LGU-related permits and requirements necessary to expand internet
coverage and improve quality of internet service shall be acted upon immediately. In
order to ensure that all municipalities and barangays have access to internet facilities,
an LGU shall be allowed to build and operate its own broadband network partnership" 
With PTEs and ISPs.
Sec. 14. Infrastructure Sharing and Co-iocation. -
(a) The DICT shall promulgate policies, rules, and regulations, in coordination 
and/or jointly with the concerned national government agencies, 
government owned and controlled corporations, and LGUs to ensure that


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III.
infrastructure, whether existing or built in the future, necessary or capable 
of supporting data transmission networks or services are: 
i. 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 infrastructure that help facilitate broadband network 
deployment.
(b) The DICT shall, in coordination with the PCC 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- 
discrlminatory and non-exclusive access to multiple service providers, in 
order 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 FTE or ISP and an infrastructure owner, which
may include a PTE, and ISP, or a public service network provider; 
and/or,
iii. 
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, to increase 
coverage, and to address 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


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use of shared infrastructure such as, but not limited to, utiiity poles, utility 
corridors and ducts; and,
(f) For shared infrastructure arrangements, the DICT shall also look into the 
following considerations:
i. 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. 15. Penalties. - The NTC may, motu proprio or upon complaint of any 
interested party, in the appropriate administrative and/or quasi-judicial process, and 
in accordance with 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
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, 5 and 8 of this Act and as prescribed by the NTC: 
i. The penalty of a fine of not less than Two hundred thousand pesos
(P200,000.00) but not more than Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00) 
for each count of violation: Provided, That if a service provider has a 
gross annual income not exceeding Ten million pesos 
(P10,000,000.00), the penalty shall be equivalent to one percent (1%) 
to two percent (2%) of its gross annual income; and.
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 the waiving of any 
pre-termination fees of affected subscribers and timely disbursement 
of any remaining credits from excessive downtime.
II.


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The foregoing is without prejudice to any other remedies available to the NTC 
under existing law.
Sec. 16. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days after 
the effectivity of this Act, the DICT and the NTC shall promulgate the implementing 
rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.
Sec. 17. Separability Clause. - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise 
affected shall remain valid and subsisting.
Sec. 18. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule, or regulation contrary to or
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modihed, or amended 
accordingly.
Sec. 19. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,
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