Here’s how much your broadband rates have dropped

MANILA, Philippines – Globe said in a statement on Tuesday, Jan 24, that prices for their wired broadband subscriptions have declined significantly in the past 4 years, with drops ranging from 68% to 88%.

In 2013, a 10 Mbps connection cost P3999 per month; now it’s down to P1,299 per month, representing a 68% price drop.

A 50 Mbps connection used to cost P8,499 per month; now it’s P1899 per month, representing a 78% price drop. A 100 Mbps connection used to cost P19,999 per month; now it’s P2,499 per month, representing an 88% drop. 

Overall, cost-to-speed rates have improved. Globe has their complete list of broadband products here.

On a price-per-Mbps basis, this is how these connections cost: 

10 Mbps

2013: P400/1 Mbps
2017: P130/1 Mbps

50 Mbps

2013: P170/1 Mbps
2017: P38/1 Mbps

100 Mbps

2013: P200/1 Mbps
2017: P25/1 Mbps

The telco said a 12% increase in broadband subscribers, year-on-year, helped drive down cost. They seek to provide 2 million homes with at least a 10 Mbps connection by 2020 through continuous deployment of ultra-fast broadband lines in the next 3 years. 

PLDT and Sky

In comparison, PLDT’s wired broadband connections cost P1,299 per month for a 10 Mbps connection, matching Globe’s rate. The same speed cost P4,000 per month back in November 2011 when it was first introduced by PLDT. 

PLDT’s high-speed broadband service, Fibr, offers a 50 Mbps connection at P1,899 – the same price as Globe’s. However, Globe offers a bigger data cap: 300 gigabytes compared to Fibr’s 80 gigabytes. In 2012, the 50 Mbps connection was not yet on offer. 

In 2012, PLDT Fibr also had a 100 Mbps connection going for P20,000 per month, the same rate as Globe’s. They don’t offer the 100 Mbps connection anymore. For the complete line of Fibr products, you can click here. For PLDT Home DSL services, click here. 

On a price-per-Mbps basis, this is how these connections cost: 

10 Mbps

2011: P400/1 Mbps
2017: P130/1 Mbps

50 Mbps

2012: N/A
2017: P38/1 Mbps

100 Mbps

2012: 200/1 Mbps
2017: N/A

Another service provider, Sky, offers uncapped broadband connections ranging from 8 Mbps (P1,599) to 64 Mbps (P3,999). Back in 2008, their 6 Mbps connection went for P4,000 a month – the same cost as their 64 Mbps package now – while their 12 Mbps connection had a monthly rate of P6,000 per month. 

On a price-per-Mbps basis, the 12 Mbps connection stood at P500/1 Mbps while the 6 Mbps connection was at P667/1 Mbps. Their connections today range from P200/1 Mbps (8 Mbps) to P62/1 Mbps. 

These connections, however, can’t be compared directly to the Globe and Smart deals on the mere basis of speed; Sky also provides cable TV channels with their deals. Their products can be found here.

On a price-per-Mbps basis, this is how these connections cost: 

SKY

2008:

6 Mbps – P667/1 Mbps
12 Mbps – P500/1 Mbps

2017: 

8 Mbps – P200/1 Mbps
64 Mbps – P62/1 Mbps

As added context, the country known for having the fastest average internet speeds, South Korea, was reported to have 1 Gbps connections going for US $20 (P996.30*) per month in 2015.

In the US, fiber internet service provider US Internet currently offers the same speed for US $70 (P3487.05) per month.

Currently, the fastest speed on offer by Globe is a 1 Gbps connection at P9,499 per month – more than half the price of 2013’s 100 Mbps connection, while being 10 times faster. On a price-per-Mbps basis, it’s actually the most cost-efficient, coming at P9.50/1 Mbps. PLDT also has a proposed 1 Gbps connection but has no price yet. – Rappler.com

*US $1 = PHP 49.80