Senator seeks to investigate practice of net neutrality in PH

SENATOR Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. has filed a resolution seeking to find out if Internet service providers are implementing Internet neutrality in the country.

Revilla said Internet neutrality is not just a consumer issue but is also "one of the foremost free speech issues in the digital age."

Internet neutrality is the principle that Internet service providers should treat all data on the Internet equally, allowing the free flow of any information without any external influence.

As a requirement of transparency, Revilla said the government regulators must compel Internet service providers in the Philippines to practice Internet neutrality, most especially that number of Internet users is increasing.

Some of the key Internet service providers in the country are Smart Broadband Inc., Globe Telecom, and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company.

Revilla said Internet service providers can interfere with the flow of data by slowing down or speeding up traffic and communicators.

“Interference on the flow of data is done through blocking, throttling and paid prioritization. If information are halted, slowed, or even tampered, our right to Internet access is violated,” Revilla said.

“Consumers are charged for Internet usage but they are faced with issues of uneven and irregular Internet connections speed,” he added.

The Philippines has the second slowest Internet speed out of 22 Asian countries ranked by Internet metrics provider Ookla.

Filipino households only experience an Internet speed of 3.64 megabits per second (Mbps) while Singapore has the world's fastest broadband Internet speed at 122.43 Mbps.

The Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines pegs the number of Internet users in the country at 38 million out of a population of 100 million as of mid-2014. (Sunnex)