THE DEPARTMENT of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has released the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Konektadong Pinoy (KP) Act, a move expected to lower internet prices, attract new foreign players, and expand connectivity to underserved and remote communities nationwide.
At a media briefing on Monday, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the agency aims for at least a 40-percent drop in internet costs by 2026.
“In ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), we are number 6 in terms of affordability. For us to move up to number 1 or 2, the reduction should be at least 40 percent, that’s the target,” Aguda said in Filipino.
He added: “Now, it shouldn’t just be a price reduction. Because in terms of quality and speed, we’re also a bit low. So, what should happen is, it will get cheaper, the quality will get better, that’s what needs to be done.”
DICT Undersecretary for Policy, Legal, and Communications, Sarah Maria Sison, said the public may now access the KP IRR through the DICT website. It was completed in just 60 days, ahead of the 90 days required by law.
“Hopefully, by December, the provisions can already be implemented,” she said.
Sison said the IRR, signed on Nov. 5, streamlines processes for new internet service providers, improves competition, and speeds up permitting and registration —steps expected to drive down internet costs.
Aguda earlier said the IRR operationalizes the KP Act, a priority legislation under the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) and a key directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The law, enacted on Aug. 24 and effective since Sept. 14, mandates faster permitting, streamlined registration for new internet service providers, and increased competition in the telecommunications sector, addressing long-standing gaps in access and affordability.
Sison, meanwhile, confirmed that foreign internet companies are preparing to enter the Philippine market.
Several firms from the United States and Europe have already expressed interest in establishing operations in the country.
Current internet prices range from P480 to P1,300 for basic plans, with premium postpaid packages reaching P10,000. The cost per Mbps is P10 to P14 for prepaid users and P3 to P10 for postpaid, he said.
Sison said consumers should start feeling improvements by next year.
“Hopefully, by next year, it would be felt already. Of course, we also expect the market forces to come into play. So, we’re looking forward to that,” she said. (PNA)
