On Friday, 29 March 2019 we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of modern internet in the country, as documented by the late
As a high school student way back in 1996, I can still vividly remember my very first encounter with the Internet — the World Wide Web (WWW) and Netscape Navigator to be precise. Brings back the memories of surfing the Web using a dial-up connection with top speeds of 28.8Kbps (take note kids), and paying PHP1.50 per minute at Internet Cyber Universe Cafe in Park Square, Makati City. A few months later, there was an Internet connection at home — thanks to my dad who needs to have an email account for his construction consulting business then.
I can still remember the days when there were almost a hundred (if not more than a hundred) Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the country selling prepaid internet cards in different denominations — now we are basically down to two (02) major ISPs, with a couple of small players trying to set foot on many locations as they can. Not to mention EDSAMail and Yehey! — the good old days of Philippine Internet.
As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our country being connected to the modern Internet, where are we now?
Social Media has fast become part of our daily lives. Twenty years ago, the only thing I worry about is forgetting my Yahoo
Today, I don’t need to worry where or what to eat when I’m hungry — there’s an app for that! During my college days, the only local website where you can have any Filipino food or delicacy delivered right at your doorstep (after a few days) is PinoyDelikasi.com.
When most Filipinos say that we have the worst Internet connection speed in the world, I beg to disagree. I always say that the Internet in the Philippines is not slow. Internet in the Philippines is too expensive. If you want to have a faster Internet connection, make sure that you are willing to shell out more than what others can — thanks to the duopoly of the major telcos. Personally, I see the light at the end of the (virtual) tunnel as we anticipate the operations of our country’s third telco, with the hope that they will somehow bring down the cost of people to have access to a decent Internet connection, wherever and whenever they wish. Filipinos are becoming aware of issues surrounding the modern Internet like online privacy and data protection. The Internet is now an avenue for unheard voices to start some noise online. We may have Internet for the last quarter of a century now, but it is still in its infancy stage.