Slow internet hinders progress

SOUTHERN LEYTE – The mode of delivering education and doing business has greatly changed as technology worldwide further advances. The urgency of keeping up is hastened by the onset of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic where online communication and transactions are the new normal.
In Southern Leyte, particularly in Maasin City, many business establishments and homes are starting to complain of the slow internet connection.
Sometimes on-line users wait for several minutes just to sign in to their email account or to browse to certain sites to do research and conduct business. In virtual meetings, which are now the safe and convenient way to hold meetings, some participants are suddenly cut-off, or presentations are disrupted, due to the unreliable Internet connection.
In an interview, a repair and service provider of a telecommunications company informed the press that they have definitely seen a sharp rise in the grievances of their customers and that they have been hard pressed to explain why the internet speed in certain areas has slowed down.
One explanation by a computer analyst is the possibility of high data congestion (traffic) when many on-line users in a particular area use the Internet simultaneously. It may also be caused by the fast depletion of allocated data in a certain region, which would affect provinces far from an Internet provider’s data source.
Some Southern Leyteños are lamenting that although they have upgraded their internet plans, in the hopes of faster internet speed, they still experience irregular connections.
As of this writing, there are reports that applications in some telecommunications companies for internet speed upgrades are temporarily suspended because the allocation for the local serviceable area is already full and that applicants would be temporarily placed in a wait-list until further notice.
Meanwhile, in a regional survey on the most reported telecommunications problems, 90% is about Internet speed and connection, 6% on telephone connection, and 4% on SMS or short message services.