Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Twentieth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1134 
 Introduced by Hon. Charisse Anne C. Hernandez 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
In 2021, Philippines’ digital transactions reached Php 1.87 Trillion, with 9.6 percent 
contribution to the Gross Domestic Product, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. 
Meanwhile, according to the e-Conomy Southeast Asia Report 2022, a report from 
Google Trends, Temasek insights, and Bain & Company, the Philippines’ digital economy is 
expected to reach a gross merchandise value of $35 billion by 2025, growing at a 20% 
compound annual growth rate from $20 billion in 2022. Noted as one of the “hot spots'' for 
investments in the years ahead, our country’s overall digital economy is expected to hit a GMV 
of $100-150 billion by 2030. 
With the abovementioned reports, one thing is evident: internet connectivity spurs 
economic growth for our country. 
However, the slow, unreliable, and costly internet access remains as the main challenge 
for us to seize this potential. 
According to a study by Netherlands-based cybersecurity firm Surfshark in 2022, the 
Philippines is among countries with “least affordable” internet services, but with “mediocre” 
July 2, 2025
3:15 pm


quality of connectivity. While the Speedtest Global Index ranked Philippines 80th in the world 
in terms of mobile broadband speed and 43rd in Fixed Broadband Speed as of December 2022. 
The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted the resolution on “the promotion, 
protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet.” This resolution gives focus on 
bridging digital divides, as it consolidates and reinforces commitments on enhancing Internet 
accessibility and affordability. 
This bill seeks to give better connectivity to the Filipinos by ensuring the availability 
of high-speed internet provided by public telecommunication entities (PTEs) and Internet 
service providers (ISPs) by requiring the expansion of service coverage of wired and wireless 
broadband service in all unserved and underserved areas in the Philippines and providing for 
the rights of end-users. This will foster growth and productivity in various industries in our 
country. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
CHARISSE ANNE C. HERNANDEZ 
          Representative 
          Lone District, Calamba City


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
Twentieth Congress 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1134
 Introduced by Hon. Charisse Anne C.  Hernandez 
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 promotion of 
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 high 
quality, 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 time 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), cable modem, fiber 
optic cable, fixed wireless, satellite, cellular mobile, and TV white space, and other evolving 
and emerging technologies as may be developed in the future; 
c) Cellular towers shall refer to passive telecommunication tower infrastructure, including, 
but not limited to, (i) three-legged or four- legged structure, (ii) poles, or (iii) mast, or (iv) 
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 set forth in this Act; 
 
 
 
 
 
e) Greenfield service area refers to a barangay where an Internet Service Provider is 
completely absent or that has 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;  
f) Internet Service Providers or ISP 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) to build, install, operate, and maintain an Internet 
network in order to offer Internet access services to the public for compensation;  
 
g) JittershaW refer to the variation of 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 does 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 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) on the basis of information gathered 
from the National ICT Household Survey; 
 
n) Threshold Speed refers to the 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 service is not available, as identified by the National ICT Household Plan; 
and  
р) 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 within three (3) 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 therein unserved and 
underserved areas and devise a plan of action to ensure Internet services shall be made 
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, 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 in Republic Act No. 7925, otherwise 
known as the Public Telecommunications Policy Act of the Philippines. 
Sec. 5. Delivery of advertised speed - Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this 
Act the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is hereby mandated to require all 
PTEs and ISPs to only advertise and offer Internet service download speeds that they can 
consistently provide and work towards providing an average Internet connection speed above 
global average. PTEs and ISPs shall deliver ninety (90) percent of advertised broadband 
speed to their subscribers at eighty (80) percent service reliability or eighty (80) percent of 
the time: Provided, That the entry-level broadband connection speed offered by ISOs 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 in 
all other cities; and 
с) Five (5) Mbps for wired broadband and two (2) Mbps for wireless broadband in 
rural areas. 
 
 
 
PTEs and ISPs shall have three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act to ensure that they 
provide, as a minimum, the threshold speeds to their end users; Provided, That PTEs and 
ISPs that 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 hereby 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. 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 shall not decrease the threshold speeds set forth under this Act. 
 
 
 
Sec. 7. Measurement and Publication of Broadband Quality of Service (QOS). - 
In order to monitor and enforce compliance of PTEs and ISPs, the NTC shall: 
 
 
a) In coordination with DICT, 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, 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 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 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) After the three-year compliance period, review compliance of PTEs and ISPs with the 
minimum download speeds and prescribe an upgrade on an annual basis, the minimum 
broadband download speed and quality of service (QOS) standards, on 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 set forth 
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 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,  
g) Publish the results of all the NTC's network audits, broadband QOS tests, and the results of 
the consumer broadband QOS tests on their official website and social media accounts on a 
monthly basis, 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. 8. Consumer 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 eighty (80) per cent of their advertised speed available at eighty (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;  
Sec. 10. 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 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 Internet 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: (i) recalling 
unutilized spectrum, (ii) 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; 
 
 


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 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 shall submit a quarterly progress 
report to Congress of all acts performed pursuant to this Act during the first week after the 
immediately preceding quarter for the next two (2) years from the effectivity of this Act. 
Sec. 12. Streamlining Permitting Requirements. - The DICT and other relevant 
government agencies including, but 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 in order 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 in order to boost Internet service 
and compel the creation of the infrastructure essential for overall economic growth. 
Section 13. Rights of end-users. - The user of Internet services shall have the 
following basic rights: 
a) To be entitled to Internet services which is non-discriminatory, reliable, and conforming 
with minimum standards set by the NTC; 
b) To be rendered Internet services within thirty (30) days from application for service, in 
areas where the service is advertised to be available; 
c) Timely correction of errors in billing or in 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 preceding paragraphs (A), (C), (D), or any minimum performance 
standards set by the NTC. 
Sec. 14. 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 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 in partnership with PTEs and ISPs.  
 
Sec. 15. 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, 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  
 
(iii) 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 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 non-exclusive access 
to multiple service providers, in order for PTEs and ISPs to provide Internet service; 
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 
(iii)Serve as the primary enforcer of this provision.  
 
 
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; 
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 shail 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. 16. 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) 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 (PFiP 10,000,000.00), 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 the waiving of any pre-termination fees of affected subscribers and 
timely disbursement of any remaining credits from excessive downtime. 
 
 
 
The foregoing is without prejudice to any other remedies available to the NTC under existing 
law. 
 
 
 


Sec. 17. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within sixty (60) days after the 
effectivity of this Act, the DICT and the NTC shall issue a Joint Memorandum Circular 
setting forth the rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions of this Act. 
Sec. 18. 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. 19. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
order, letter of instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is 
hereby repealed or modified accordingly. 
Sec. 20. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its 
complete publication in a newspaper of general circulation.  
 
Approved,