Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Human Rights Council of the United Nations General Assembly has affirmed the 
promotion, protection, and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet which enables 
individuals to exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression. 
More than expression, the Internet has proved to be very important in the conduct of 
business, the facilitation of education and effective delivery of information, in light of 
the restrictions brought by the prolonged battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. 
The truth, however, is that mere access to the Internet does not mean that everyone 
is benefitting from it equally. High-speed connections and bigger bandwidths allow us 
to maximize the benefit that the Internet should bring. The reality is that we get left 
behind because of poor connection. High-speed internet connection is important in 
increasing productivity and the growing demands for connectivity.  
In view of the foregoing, this proposed measure mandates internet service providers 
(ISPs) to deliver minimum internet connection speeds of 10 Mbps for mobile 
broadband/internet 
access 
and 
20 
Mbps 
for 
fixed 
and 
fixed 
wireless 
broadband/internet access to their subscribers to ensure that we attain an internet 
connection speed above global average. 
In view of the foregoing, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
May 22, 2023
11:39 am
8221 


Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. ____
Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR. 
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 
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: 
8221 


 
a)  
Bandwidth shall 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; 
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. 
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 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 services to the public for compensation; 
f) 
Jitter shall 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; 
j) 
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 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; 
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) 
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 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 (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 in the Philippines 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 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 in 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: 
a)  
10 Megabits per second (Mbps) for fixed broadband and 5 Mbps for mobile 
broadband in highly urbanized cities; 
b) 
5 Mbps for fixed broadband and 3 Mbps for mobile broadband services 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 Sec. 15 of this law, 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 may 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)  
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 
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) 
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 
f) 
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. 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 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; 
 
Sec. 10. Responsibilities ofthe 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 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 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 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. 
 
Sec. 13. 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. 14. 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; 
 
c) 
In case of a dispute arising from a 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. 
 
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 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: 
(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 ofthis 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 (PHP 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. 16. 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. 17. 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. 18. 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. 19. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its complete 
publication in a newspaper of general circulation. 
 
Approved,