In the world’s social media capital, there are only 15,000 cell sites covering 140 million phone numbers, according to the Manila Standard Business which may be why their mobile connectivity is often ranked among the slowest in the world.
The Philippines currently has among the slowest internet speeds in Asia Pacific at an average 4.2 Mbps, just above India. The International Telecommunication Union, the telecommunications body of the United Nations, meanwhile, ranked the Philippines 105th in the world in terms of information and communications technology in 2015, Manila Standard Business said.
National Telecommunications Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba has identified community resistance to the installation of cell sites as a major hurdle to improving mobile phone and internet service in the country.
The recent Philippine Telecoms Summit 2017 concluded that resistance to the towers based on health concerns due to RF emissions prevented more build-out. Homeowners associations, who control much of the permitting, do not often give their approval.
An example was given of the posh borough of Ayala, Alabang, where only a single cell site serves the community. Similarly upscale Makati villages Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village, have no dedicated cell sites serving them.
“Clearly, there is a lack of connectivity and service inside these villages—and the people who live there are data heavy users. You can also imagine the complaints that we receive from the people who reside in these villages, but the problem is their homeowners associations do not allow the installation of cell sites,” Cordoba told Manila Standard Business.
March 21, 2017
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