• Home
• Analysis
• Policy
• Central Government
• Local Government
• Healthcare
• Education
• Digital Inclusion
• Technology
• Security

Digital Inclusion

Philippines launches study on internet use

By Robin Hicks | 27 July 2009

The World Bank is funding a comprehensive study that will measure PC and internet penetration in the Philippines in partnership with the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT).

The study is expected to be finished before the end of the year. It will cover computer and telecommunications service providers, according to CICT chairman Ray Roxas-Chua.

The results of the study will become the basis for long-term policies on universal access for the Philippines, which the CICT hopes to develop.

Roxas-Chua said PC and internet penetration in the Philippines remains small despite improvements in infrastructure and the availability of cheaper hardware.

The Internet World Stats website showed that as of March 2009, there are 20.6 million Internet users in the Philippines with a penetration rate of 21.5 per cent of the population.

Roxas-Chua pointed out that majority of PC and web use is limited to major cities but many rural areas in the Philippines have yet to benefit from these services.

Moreover, he said previous studies only measured PC and internet use in cyber cafes, which flourish in many areas in the Philippines.

The price of computers, availability of connectivity in certain areas, and lack of local internet content that would spur usage are among the issues that deny most people from acquiring computers, Roxas-Chua said.

“We also want to know what other factors are preventing people from acquiring computers and getting internet access. We also want to continue building awareness among people about the benefits of having a computer and the internet at home,” he said.

---