MANILA – A United Nations report on the accessibility of the Internet to people in different parts of the world revealed that only one-third of Filipinos can access the information highway.
According to the 2014 edition of the State of Broadband report, only 37-percent of the population of the Philippines had access to the Internet in 2013. This data put the country in the 106th out of 191 spots of economies with access to the Internet.
“The State of Broadband is a unique global snapshot of broadband-network access and affordability, with country-by-country data measuring broadband access against key advocacy targets set by the 54 members of the Broadband Commission,” the UN said.
“Released on Monday in New York at the 10th meeting of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, the report reveals that more than 40 percent of the world’s people are already online, with the number of Internet users rising from 2.3 billion in 2013 to 2.9 billion by the end of this year,” the UN stated.
The world average percentage of people with access to the Internet is 37.9-percent; marginally higher than that of the Philippines. The average scored by most developing countries, on the other hand, is 29.9-percent.
Additionally, data indicated that approximately 22.9 percent of Philippine households have Internet; garnering the country a ranking of 57 out of 132 economies where data is available.
The Philippines also had one of the highest household Internet penetration rates, in comparison with other Asean countries; coming in third after Singapore and Malaysia among the Asean countries.
Singapore ranked third worldwide, with a household Internet penetration rate of 86-percent in 2013; while. Malaysia, ranked 17th globally, with 64.7-percent .
As for broadband access, In terms of broadband access, only 2.6 in 100 Filipinos have fixed or wired broadband connection; giving the country a ranking of 110 out of 190 economies.
The worldwide average of people with wired broadband connection in 2013 was at 9.4 of 100 people.
Data showed that more Filipinos, approximately 20.3 for every100 inhabitants, rely on mobile broadband access; landing the country at 79 out of 138 economies in this category.
Singapore remained the most advanced among the Asean countries, with regard to accessibility of both fixed and mobile broadband access, as well as in household and population Internet access.
Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia had the lowest rankings of Asean countries.