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As we celebrate ICT Month this June, and the International Telecommunications Union’s 154th year, let’s look back at the history of ICT in the Philippines and how it shaped up to how it is right now.

Before ICT in the PH

Before 1928, telecommunications in the Philippines was segmented. You could only call people within your own small city.

1928: Telecoms in the Philippines

1928 American-owned PLDT was incorporated and given the franchise to establish and operate telephone services in the Philippines. Small phone companies in the provinces were acquired to speed up the rollout process.

1968 Filipinos Connecting Filipinos to the World

PLDT became a Filipino-controlled corporation bought by Ramon Cojuangco.

1987: Cellular Telephone Network

PLDT establishes the country’s first cellular telephone network.

1993: Birth of the Philippine Internet

With the support of the Department of Science and Technology and the Industrial Research Foundation, the Philnet project (now PHNET ) was born.

1994: Our First Internet Connection

Benjie Tan, who was working for ComNet established Philippines’ first connection to the Internet at a PLDT network center in Makati City.

2013: The Massive Growth of the Country’s Mobile Networks

Our Mobile Cellular Subscriptions reach 102 million.

2014: Fastest Growing Connections

The Philippines named fastest growing internet population in the last five years with a growth of 531%

 

Number of Philippine Internet users at 38 million out of a population of 100 million.

2017: Internet Connection Population Penetration

119M Mobile Phone Subscriptions in the Country (117% Penetration Rate)

 

95% Prepaid

 

Greater 10% Broadband Subscription

 

55% Mobile Broadband Subscription

 

80% Subscribed to the Lowest Speed Plans (1-3 MBPS)

TODAY IN ICT: THE TIME WE SPENT ONLINE

3.2 HOURS ON MOBILE PHONES
5.2 HOURS ON DESKTOP / TABLETS

TOP FILIPINO ONLINE ACTIVITIES

FACEBOOK 47%
ONLINE VIDEOS / YOUTUBE 19%
GAMING 15%
SEARCH 13%
SHOPPING 29%

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