Globe At Home has topped the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) performance rating of subscription-based streaming service Netflix in the Philippines for the fourth straight month this year.

Based on the April 2022 Netflix ISP Speed Index, Globe scored the fastest speeds through its Globe At Home Broadband Business. In 2021, Globe At Home also dominated the list for 10 out of 12 months.

Globe’s score is at par with that of the country’s overall rating.  Others in the same category are Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay, Poland, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Uruguay, and Vietnam.

Netflix’s ISP Speed Index determines which ISPs offer the best viewing experience during peak hours. The data is gathered from subscribers using the online video streaming platform.

The speed index is vital for Netflix streaming because its videos load quickly on networks with low latency, packet loss, and jitter. Otherwise, users may encounter issues such as buffering and pixelization while watching videos.

“We are glad that we could offer consistent, high-quality video streaming speed.  It is a testament to our unrelenting efforts to provide affordable, world-class connectivity to Filipinos across the Philippines,” said Barbie Dapul, Globe At Home Vice President for Marketing.

Globe is spending P89 billion this year for its aggressive network expansion to boost internet quality and coverage. This is part of its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG No. 9, which underscores the crucial role of infrastructure and innovation in development.

This year’s capital expenditure allocation will be used to build new cell sites, upgrade existing sites to 4G/LTE, accelerate the rollout of 5G connectivity, and fast-track the fiberization of Filipino homes nationwide.

Last year, Globe spent a record P92.8 billion to build 1,407 new cell sites, upgrade over 22,300 mobile sites, install more than 2,000 5G outdoor sites and in-building solutions, and lay down fiber to 1.4 million homes.

To learn more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.

Billionaire Elon Musk’s high-speed satellite internet business Starlink is set to enter the Philippines after its local branch won regulatory approval from the country, which is battling with poor internet speeds.

The Philippines’ telecom regulator on Friday said it accepted the registration of Starlink Internet Services Philippines Inc., “paving the way for the company to start delivering internet access services to the Philippine market in the coming months.”

Starlink’s service is planned to be up and operating in the Philippines by the fourth quarter, according to its website.

The Philippines will be the first country in Southeast Asia to provide Starlink’s services, which are offered by modern, low-orbit satellites, the country’s National Telecommunications Commission said in a statement.

The service is offered in more than 30 countries, notably in North America and Europe. It has deployed nearly 2,000 satellites and aims to launch thousands more. The company offers high-speed, low-latency satellite internet service with download speeds of between 100 megabits per second and 200 Mbps, the commission said.

The Philippines ranks 95th in mobile internet speed and 59th in fixed broadband internet speed, according to the Speedtest Global Index, lagging behind most countries in Southeast Asia. According to the report, in April, median download speeds in the Philippines stood at 19.45 Mbps and 55.21 Mbps for mobile and fixed broadband, respectively.

The commission stated that Starlink is intended to cover unserved or underserved villages in urban and suburban areas as well as rural areas.

Mary Grace Mirandilla-Santos, an independent industry researcher, said Starlink’s debut in the Philippines will provide a choice for end consumers, especially those in areas not serviced by incumbent carriers.

But its success in the country will partially depend on how swiftly the government can permit Starlink to set up the required infrastructure. “Is there enough spectrum for satellite Internet? Will Starlink be allowed to develop the necessary network so that it may provide flawless end-to-end satellite broadband service to the Filipino people?”

Another question “is there a market response? Will Filipino consumers utilize the service? Is Starlink’s service affordable enough? ” Mirandilla-Santos said.

(Source photos by Getty Images/AP)

To protect national security, Canada announced on Thursday, May 19, that it will prohibit the use of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., and ZTE Corp. 5G equipment, joining the rest of the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network.

Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told reporters in Ottawa, “We intend to exclude Huawei and ZTE from our 5G networks.” “Under the plans, we’re announcing today, providers who already have this equipment will be required to stop using it and remove it.”

According to Champagne, companies will be required to remove their 5G equipment by June 2024 and will not be reimbursed. By the end of 2027, companies that use 4G equipment must remove it.

The widely anticipated decision had been postponed due to diplomatic tensions with China. The equipment has already been banned by the rest of the Five Eyes network, which includes Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

Canada first announced in September 2018 that it would look into the potential national security risks of using Huawei equipment.

Then, in December of that year, Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Canada on a US warrant, igniting a long-running dispute with China that was finally resolved last September when Meng was released.

Following Meng’s arrest, Beijing detained two Canadians and charged them with espionage. Meng was released on the same day as the two men.

China and Canada’s diplomatic tensions have now eased somewhat. China lifted a three-year ban on Canadian canola seed imports on Wednesday, reversing a move seen as retaliation for Meng’s detention.

The decision comes after Canadian telecom companies chose to use 5G hardware from other companies.

The alleged security concerns, according to a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Canada, are a “pretext for political manipulation,” and Canada is cooperating with the US to suppress Chinese companies.

In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Alykhan Velshi, Huawei’s vice president of corporate affairs in Canada, said the company is still waiting to hear “what kind of national security threats they think Huawei poses.”

According to Velshi, Huawei still has 1,500 employees in Canada, mostly in research and development, and sells products such as cell phones.

Despite using Huawei 4G equipment, Bell Canada and rival Telus Corp teamed up with Sweden’s Ericsson and Finland’s Nokia Oyj to build fifth-generation (5G) telecom networks in 2020, ditching Huawei for the project.

Along with the ban, Canada’s Public Safety Minister, Marco Mendicino, announced that new legislation would be drafted to protect critical financial, telecommunications, energy, and transportation infrastructure from cyber threats.