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Internet and Telecommunications in
Philippines:
In 1992 the
Philippines had one of the lowest levels of telephone penetration
in Asia: slightly more than 1 per 100 inhabitants. By 1995 there
were about 60 telephone companies, but most were operating only
in urban areas and the long-distance traffic was controlled by a
single company, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company.
In 1995 a new telecommunications policy act was passed which,
although still favoring the dominant carrier, acted to both
deregulate telecommunications and increase coverage in more rural
areas. One result was an increase in the number of phone lines to
almost 4 per 100 inhabitants by the end of 1999. However, the
cost of a phone call to the United States is more than 120 times
the cost of a flat rate local call. In June 1999 the Philippine
League for Democratic Telecommunications called for a boycott of
both local and long distance telephone services to protest the
high rates being charged and the threat of incipient call
metering.
In the Philippines the Internet is growing. Although there are
almost 100 Internet Service Providers in the Philippines, most of
them have connections through backbones located in the United
States. Internet dial-up connection charges are approximately 2
dollars hourly (or 33 dollars for up to 60 hours monthly). This
fee is approximately 80% higher than similar charges in the
United States. Since GNP per capita in the Philippines is only
12% of that in the United States, it is clear that access to the
e-world is currently limited to the wealthier citizens and
companies. In 2000 Internet users were approximately 2,000,000.
In 2003 this number had increased to 3,500,000 Internet
surfers.
According to the research group BSBC Hook UAI, there were
1,925,649 Internet users in 2004 in Metro Manila belonging to the
A, B and C classes, ages ranging from 13 to 30 years old, as
compared to 1,885,465 in 2002, indicating a 21.3-percent
increase.
The Internet café has been the growth driver of online
gaming with a 38-percent share from January to June 2004, with
Metro Manila registering the highest share with 41 percent,
followed by Central Luzon with 17 percent. Since the Philippines
has a low personal computer (PC) penetration rate estimated at
less than 10 percent of the total population, the Internet
café has provided access to online gaming and the Web to
many Filipinos.
Philippines - Internet and
E-Services Report
The Internet has not yet really taken off in the Philippines.
With an estimated Internet user population of 6%, penetration is
among the lowest in Asia. The Internet sector is, however, well
positioned for growth, with a deregulated market, strong
government support for IT development, and an increasingly
Internet savvy population. The growth of e-commerce will, in
turn, depend on increasing the accessibility of Internet, greater
PC penetration and enactment by the government of appropriately
strong e-commerce legislation. This report looks at the
development of the Internet and e-commerce in the
Philippines. See report
summary.
Philippines - Key Statistics
and Regulatory Overview Report
Whilst the Philippines telecommunications sector has witnessed
considerable investment and activity since deregulation in 1993,
the market has fallen short of its potential. However, there is
considerable optimism that this is about to change. This report
provides a statistical overview of the Philippine market. The
difficulty in obtaining accurate statistical information on the
market is noted, for some indicators only 2003 official figures
being available. Although the National Telecommunications
Commission solicits information from the operators, compliance is
not high, the respondents interpret measures in different ways
and the information, once received, is not always
compiled. See report
summary.
Philippines - Broadband Market
Report
Compared with many of its Asian neighbours, the Philippines is
moving slowly on the adoption of Internet. Of the estimated 6% of
the population who are the Internet users population, only a
fraction of these go online with a broadband connection.
Nevertheless, the data and Internet markets are well positioned
for growth. Future growth will depend on the provision of
reliable infrastructure, especially in the area of broadband
Internet. As of late 2004, PLDT and BayanTel were leading the
broadband market. This report looks at the various initiatives to
provide broadband services in the country as the government
continues to encourage development. See report
summary.
Philippines - Telecommunications Infrastructure
Report
The Philippines telecommunications sector has witnessed
substantial investment in infrastructure, driven initially by the
Service Area Scheme (SAS) for fixed-line development in the 1990s
and, more recently, by the burgeoning mobile telephony market.
The fixed-line strategy, however, has resulted in a massive
under-utilisation of infrastructure, with only a 50% occupancy of
installed fixed line capacity. This has raised serious questions
about the SAS process and other policy decisions. This report
provides an overview of the local, national and international
infrastructure that has been put in place. See report
summary.
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Philippines to Reach 6.3 Million Gamers in 2008
MANILA, Jan. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- The
number of online gamers in the Philippines will reach 6.3 million
by 2008, said a research released by
the International Data Corporation (IDC). The increase is driven
by the availability of new online gametitles and more broadband
connections.
The communities of friends or families forming "clans" when
playing online also perform as a driving sector in social aspect,
it said. The research also estimated that the online gaming
subscriptions in the country will grow 58.4 percent annually from
2002 to 2007.
IDC Philippines Research Manager Manuel Ravago told reporters
that the ultimate success of new online game distributors would
depend on flexible business models. Alliances among Internet service providers, game
distributors and telecommunications companies could also boost
the growth of the Philippine online gaming industry, Ravago
said.
Based on the research, the IDC also forecast that the
Philippines internet usage will record a growth of 23 percent
annually and reach 21.5 million by 2008.
Source: Xinhaunet Press Release
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