Connected devices, where our guests build

Mobile networks

Median mobile download speed, Mbps

Median mobile download speed in the Philippines rose from 25.29 Mbps in Q1 2023 to 43.80 Mbps in Q1 2026, according to DICT figures based on Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data, as reported by TelecomLead⁵.

Globe Telecom said in August 2026 that its 5G outdoor population coverage had passed 98% across Metro Manila and key cities⁷.

Connections and SIMs

According to DataReportal, citing GSMA Intelligence, 89.0% of mobile connections in the Philippines could be considered broadband (3G, 4G or 5G) in late 2025⁹.

Homes, city and province

DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said in February 2026 that nearly seven in ten Metro Manila households have internet access, while in many parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao only three to four in ten are connected, Philstar reported¹¹.

President Marcos said in his July 2025 State of the Nation Address that free public Wi-Fi sites had increased from 4,000 in 2022 to almost 19,000 as of 2025. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda later said they were placed across 6,183 geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, GMA News reported¹².

On the grid

Davao Light reported that its system average interruption frequency (SAIFI) fell from 10.49 to 3.40 and duration (SAIDI) from 430 to 260 minutes during a reliability programme that included about 250 cutout-mounted reclosers, which restore power after temporary faults, T&D World reported in June 2026¹⁴.

• AboitizPower. The company said in May 2025 that it would expand AI and data analytics across its thermal plants, completing implementation in the Visayas that year and moving to Luzon next, using digital twin, early-warning and anomaly-detection systems that it said would mean fewer outage days¹⁵.
• Meralco PowerGen. Kenny Martinez, its head of IT, said at an IBM roundtable in June 2025 that the company sees its IBM Maximo upgrade as a springboard toward predictive maintenance¹⁶.

On mobile networks

PLDT Enterprise said in June 2026 it would partner with 6D Technologies on an IoT connectivity management platform built on Smart's 5G-enabled infrastructure, naming use cases including fleet tracking, smart metering, industrial automation and cold chain monitoring¹⁷.

When the power goes

During Severe Tropical Storm Kristine in October 2024, more than 389,000 customers across Meralco's franchise areas were affected by power interruptions, and the NTC said commercial power interruptions were the primary reason for telecom service disruptions, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported¹⁸.

Telecom network budgets

The national plan

Rules that touch connected devices

1. May 2024
   Cybersecurity. The US-ASEAN Business Council reported that the National Cybersecurity Plan 2023-2028, adopted by Executive Order 58, does not cover critical infrastructure and critical information infrastructure, and that DICT intends a separate order once a protection law is in place²².
2. Aug 2024
   Cameras. The National Privacy Commission's CCTV rules (Circular 2024-02) require recorded footage to be encrypted and kept only as long as necessary for its purpose²³. The circular covers CCTV, not other sensors.
3. Aug 2025
   Networks. The Konektadong Pinoy Act (Republic Act No. 12234) lapsed into law, and its implementing rules were signed on 5 November 2025²⁴.
4. Jun 2026
   Radio spectrum. NTC Memorandum Circular No. 004-06-2026 of 29 June 2026 allocated the 77-81 GHz band to movement-detection and alarm devices, such as radar sensors, at a maximum power of 50 mW EIRP, according to regulatory trackers²⁵.

The Konektadong Pinoy Act, in brief

• No franchise. Providers of data transmission services no longer need a congressional franchise or NTC certificate, except for basic telephone services, and generally need only to register with the NTC, according to a SyCipLaw briefing²⁶.
• Spectrum and satellites. Registered providers can directly use satellite technology and spectrum for their broadband networks, and the NTC with DICT must review existing spectrum allocations, PwC Philippines says²⁷.
• Shared infrastructure. The implementing rules direct DICT to ensure passive infrastructure is made available for co-location and co-use on an open, fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory basis, according to a SyCipLaw briefing²⁸.
• Security certification. Registered providers must follow national and global cybersecurity standards and, within two years of registration, secure a third-party cybersecurity certification, PwC Philippines says²⁹.
• Incidents and data. A December 2025 analysis by law firm Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra says providers must report material cybersecurity incidents to DICT's National Computer Emergency Response Team and process the personal data they collect under the Data Privacy Act³⁰.