Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. _____________ 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Slow and unreliable internet connectivity is one of the sore realities that 
Filipinos are faced with daily. To make matters worse, with the emergence of 
the COVID-19 pandemic, the reliance on internet services of the working class 
increased drastically along with the students who are still not allowed to take 
part in face-to-face classes. Even courts of justice rely on internet services in 
order to conduct its hearings as well as other government agencies. Needless 
to say, internet services play a vital role in the day-to-day lives of most people. 
The Philippines ranks at the lower part of the world index in terms of 
average broadband and mobile speeds. For broadband speed, the Philippines 
ranks 80th out of one hundred seventy-six (176) countries while 84th out of the 
one hundred thirty-four (134) countries for mobile speed1.   Based on the data 
as provided, it is quite clear that we are way behind in terms of broadband and 
mobile internet speed. Considering the vast usage of internet by the Filipinos 
not only for leisure purposes but also for professional and educational settings, 
measures have to be taken in order to improve internet services in the 
Philippines.  
This Bill aims to mandate internet service providers (ISPs) to improve the 
internet services in the country by requiring a provide internet download speed 
not lower than ten (10) Mbps for all broadband internet access. Through the 
passage of this Bill, Filipinos shall be provided with a faster and more stable 
1 Speedtest Global Indez 
June 29, 2021
12:26 pm
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internet connection and giving the consumers value for their money paid for 
internet access.  
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this Bill is earnestly sought. 
ERIC OLIVAREZ 


Republic of the Philippines 
House of Representatives 
Quezon City 
EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS 
Second Regular Session 
House Bill No. _____________ 
Introduced by REPRESENTATIVE ERIC L. OLIVAREZ 
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“AN ACT MANDATING THE NATIONA TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
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COMMISSION TO REQUIRE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS  
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TO DELIVER A MINIMUM STANDARD OF 10 MEGABYTES  
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PER SECOND (10MBPS) FOR INTERNET  
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CONNECTION SPEED” 
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Be it enacted in the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Republic of the 
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Philippines in Congress assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. – This act shall be known as the “Improved Internet 
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Services Act of 2021”.  
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SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. – The State recognizes the vital role of 
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communication and information in nation-building as well as the authority of the State 
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to regulate and promote the adaptation of technology for the national benefit. As such, 
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the State shall endeavor to accelerate the provision of good internet connectivity in 
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the entire country by creating measures that will deliver inexpensive, fast, and reliable 
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internet services.  
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SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. – 
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a) Internet Service Providers (ISPs) refers to the entities that provide
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internet connections and services to individuals and organizations.
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b) Bandwidth refers to the maximum amount of data transmitted over an
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internet connection in a given amount of time.
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c) Broadband refers to the transmission of wide bandwidth date over a 
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high-speed internet connection.  
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d) Download speed refers to the speed at which an internet connection is 
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able to retrieve data from the internet.  
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e) Megabits per second (Mbps) refers to the unit of measurement for 
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bandwidth and throughput on a network 
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SECTION 4. The National Telecommunications Commission – The National 
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Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is hereby mandated to create measures that 
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will increase the speed of internet services in the country. In order to achieve this, the 
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NTC shall compel all internet service providers to provide internet download speed not 
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lower than 10 Mbps for all broadband internet access.  
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The NTC shall formulate regulations that shall set forth the requirements to 
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ensure that ISPs meet the standards required in internet connection speed. The NTC 
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shall likewise provide parameters that will protect the rights of consumers of internet 
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services by including conditions necessary for connection, pricing, billing and the like. 
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SECTION 
5. 
Role 
of 
Internet 
Service 
Providers 
and 
Public 
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Telecommunications Entities. – In order to achieve the mandate of this Act, internet 
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service providers (ISPs) and Public Telecommunications Entities (PTEs) shall be 
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responsible in creating measures that will satisfy at least the minimum requirements 
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set forth by the NTC. The ISPs and the PTEs, if necessary, shall modify or change 
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telecommunication lines, or expand their infrastructure in order to be able to 
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accommodate higher bandwidths in order to improve internet services in the country.  
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SECTION 6. Review by the NTC. – In order to ensure continued compliance 
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with the provisions of this Act, the NTC is hereby mandated to conduct an annual 
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review of the implementation of this Act. The NTC shall adjust the minimum standard 
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accordingly should they find the necessity to do so based on the conduct of the review.  
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SECTION 7. Penalty. – ISPs who fail to meet the minimum download speed 
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requirement set forth in this Act shall be subject to a fine of not exceeding FIVE 
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MILLION PESOS (Php5,000,000.00).  
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SECTION 8.  Implementing Rules and Regulations. –  Within sixty (60) days 
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from the promulgation of this Act, the implementing rules and regulations for the 
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proper implementation of its provisions shall be formulated by the NTC in coordination 
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with all the stakeholders and covered establishments and institutions.  
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SECTION 9. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act is declared 
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invalid or unconstitutional, the other provisions not affected thereby shall remain 
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valid and subsisting.  
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SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. – All acts, executive orders, memorandum 
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circulars/guidelines and other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with 
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this Act, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.  
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SECTION 11. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation 
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 APPROVED. 
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