Computer sales brisk but internet speed remains slow amid need to work, study from home

Computer sales have spiked, but internet speed remains slow amid the need to work and study from home due to quarantine.

In Tina Panganiban-Perez's report on "24 Oras," a sales representative said that upon the implementation of the MECQ on May 16, customers trooped to Gilmore avenue in Quezon City to buy gadgets.

"Karamihan ano po laptop pero mas marami din bumibili din ng desktop [...] [pang] work from home. Opo, students 'yun 'yung naghahanap ng laptop po," Lyn Flores said.

"Nagkakaubusan kasi ng stock ngayon. Tapos sa supplier wala rin stock," she added.

Shy, who was in Gilmore to buy a laptop for her child, said she was not planning to upgrade her internet connection despite the slow speed.

"Dagdag sa gastos. Ito nga lang gastos na," she said.

According to the speedtest global index for April 2020, the country ranked 121 out of 139 countries for mobile internet speed and ranked 110 out of 174 countries for fixed broadband speed.

However, a tech expert said that the Philippine government as well as the private sector cannot currently sustain a good signal.

"Kasi kung titignan natin ang internet penetration sa Pilipinas, nasa bandang 70, 72 percent po ito ngayon. And it has been at that level for the past two, three years," TJ Dimacali said.

"Syempre andoon 'yung problema, unang-una, sa parte ng consumer 'yung affordability and access tapos andoon din sa side naman ng mga telco 'yung pag-roll out ng teknolohiya," he added. —Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News