(Councilors Jay Sangil and Pogs Suller in a huddle during a recent hearing on internet service. Contributed photo)
ANGELES CITY – The city council here has not let up in its pursuit of better internet service and now wants the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to determine if telecommunication companies (telcos) are true to their advertising assertions.
In a joint committee hearing chaired by city councilors Jesus “Jay” Sangil and Alfie Bonifacio of public works and engineering, and public utilities respectively, the committee vowed to help validate the internet speed being supplied by Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. and other telcos.
Sangil said he has requested the NTC to conduct a random test to determine the internet speed as advertised by telcos to their subscribers. He said this is to validate if the telcos are really providing the internet speed that their customers paid for.
Sangil said we are now well-aware that broadband is now considered among the basic utilities of modern life, a necessity as we go about our private affairs and business dealings.
“We have all been told and are now well-aware how broadband is critical to the continued growth of small and big businesses, how broadband may create alternative home-based job opportunities for our people, how broadband may revolutionize public education, safety and health care,” he said.
“We need not look far to see the importance of affordable internet services at globally- competitive speeds. All we need to see are the presence of the significant number of BPO companies, both local and international, thriving within the city itself and directly employing thousands of Angelenos,” he added.
Sangil said he was informed that a 1.5Mbps is enough if you send an ordinary email without attachments. But if you want to watch Netflix, you will need an internet speed of three Mbps and five Mbps for a DVD quality, and seven Mbps for super HD quality.
He asks: “So what does it really mean to have up to 11 Mbps o 54 Mbps or 600 Mbps that is now frequently offered by Converge it its advertisement?”
Meanwhile, aside from NTC director Azor Sitchon, representatives from the Department of Science and Technology as well representatives from Converge, PLDT and other similar private companies in the industry were also present during the recent committee hearing.
The business sector, the academe as well as ordinary subscribers also attended the said committee hearing also participated in by councilors Arvin Suller, Joseph Ponce, Dan Lacson, Jerry Alejandrino, Jaycee Aguas, Marino Bañola and Raco del Rosario.
