A STUDY ON THE MOST OPTIMAL INTERNET SERVICE AVAILABLE IN CEBU FOR COMPUTER-COURSE STUDENTS IN A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY ____________________ A Research Paper Presented to the Senior High School Department Cebu Institute of Technology – University Cebu City, Philippines ______________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subjects RESEARCH 3—INQUIRIES, INVESTIGATIONs, AND IMMERSION and RESEARCH 4—CAPSTONE PROJECT _____________________ By: Paul M. Abellana Christian Barry R. Alico John Michael N. Borromeo Francis Benedict Y. Chavez Charles Luis G.Gaid Jose Ely P. Perez Tristan James Y. Tolentino June 2022 ii APPROVAL SHEET This research paper entitled, A STUDY ON THE MOST OPTIMAL INTERNET SERVICE AVAILABLE IN CEBU FOR COMPUTER-COURSE STUDENTS IN A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY, prepared and submitted by Paul M. Abellana, Christian Barry R. Alico, John Michael N. Borromeo, Francis Benedict Y. Chavez, Charles Luis G.Gaid, Jose Ely P. Perez, and Tristan James Y. Tolentino in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the courses Research 3—Inquiries, Investigations, and Immersion and Research 4—Capstone Project is hereby accepted and recommended for Oral Examination. CHARLES SAMUEL LASISTE Adviser DR. BEVERLY TAGA, PH. D. Member IAN NEIL L. VIRTUDAZO, MA ED., Math Member LINA N. BAGUIO, PH. D Chairman ACCEPTED as partial fulfillment of the requirement for the courses of Research 3— Inquiries, Investigations, and Immersion and Research 4—Capstone Project. APPROVED by the tribunal at the Oral Examination with the grade of _PASSED_. CHARLES SAMUEL LASISTE Adviser IAN NEIL L. VIRTUDAZO, MA ED., Math Member BEVERLY TAGA, PH. D. Member LINA N. BAGUIO, PH. D Chairman Oral Examination: _PASSED_ ENGR. ALONA M. SOLIS Assistant Principal, Senior High School DR. RANIZA R. ROMERO Principal, Senior High School iii ACKNOWLEDGMENT This study was made successful through the help of these noteworthy people who guided the researchers throughout this study. Their sincere gratitude is given to the following individuals who shaped and supported the process of completing this study to its intended vision: To their loving parents, who supported them on the journey of this paper and expenses by giving them the privilege of conducting this study; To Dr. Lina N. Baguio, their research teacher, who helped them continue and finish writing this thesis through their guidance, encouragement, and assessment; To Sir Sam Lasiste, their external adviser, who helped with his knowledge and expertise and supervised them in completing this thesis, which the researchers are grateful for; To Dr. Beverly Taga, Dr. Patrick Bacalso, and Dr. Kurt Candilas, their panelists, for their insightful remarks and suggestions for refining this research paper; And lastly, to the almighty God, for giving the researchers strength and hope that inspired them to have the persistence to complete the research paper. iv DEDICATION This study is sincerely dedicated by the researchers to their families, loved ones, and friends that supported them all throughout the journey of this research. To their parents who unconditionally provide them with financial, moral, and emotional support; To their school, and internal and external advisers that provided them with knowledge, guidance, and borrowed skills to further enhance the study until the end. And most importantly, above all, thank you to our Almighty God for always being there by the researchers’ sides to provide encouragement, mental capacity, skills, and a healthy life. We offer all of these to You, our Almighty God. passion, v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. TITLE PAGE i. APPROVAL SHEET ii. ACKNOWLEDGMENT iii. DEDICATION iv. TABLE OF CONTENTS v. LIST OF FIGURES vii. LIST OF TABLES viii. ABSTRACT x. CHAPTER 1 2 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background and Rationale of the Study 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 4 1.3 Significance of the Study 5 1.4 Scope and Limitations of the Study 6 1.5 Definition of Terms 7 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 9 2.1 Theory 9 2.2 Theoretical-Conceptual Framework 13 2.2.1 Schematic Diagram of the Theoretical- 15 Conceptual Framework 2.3 Review of Related Readings 16 vi 3 4 2.3.1 Review of Related Literature 16 2.3.2 Review of Related Studies 18 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 21 3.1 Research Design 21 3.2 Description of Experiment 22 3.2.1 Research Environment 22 3.2.2 Research Instrument 23 3.2.3 Research Procedure 23 3.2.4 Statistical Techniques 25 3.3 Description of Subjects 28 PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION, AND ANALYSIS 29 OF DATA 4.1 The Most Optimal Internet Service Provider 29 Based on Internet Speeds 4.2 Efficiency of Internet Services Offered by Internet 40 Service Providers Based on The Internet Speeds 4.3 Interventions or Proposed Changes 5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND 45 47 RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 Summary of Findings 47 5.2 Conclusions 49 5.3 Recommendations 49 5.4 Further Recommendations for Research 51 vii BIBLIOGRAPHY 52 APPENDICES 59 Appendix A – Transmittal Letter 59 Appendix B – Curriculum Vitae 66 Appendix C – Turnitin Certification 80 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page No. 1 Schematic Diagram of the Theoretical-Conceptual Framework of the Study 15 2 Graph of the Comparison between the Means of the ISP’s Speeds 35 ix LIST OF TABLES Table Page No. 1 Most Availed ISP 29 2 The Calculations for the Recorded Internet Speeds 30 of PLDT 3 The Calculations for the Recorded Internet Speeds 31 of Globe 4 The Calculations for the Recorded Internet Speeds 33 of Converge 5 The Calculations for the Recorded Internet Speeds 34 of Sky Telecom 6 A Comparison of the Different ISPs’ Speeds using 36 SD/Mean Scores 7 The Listed Prices of the Advertised Fiber Speeds 38 8 Difference Between Recorded and Advertised Speeds 41 of PLDT 9 Difference Between Recorded and Advertised Speeds 42 of Globe 10 Difference Between Recorded and Advertised Speeds of Sky Telecom 42 x 11 Difference Between Recorded and Advertised Speeds 43 of Converge 12 The Average Ratings of Each ISP in Different Categories 45 xi ABSTRACT The modern world as we know it has become heavily reliant on the use of the internet to achieve numerous daily tasks. Both workers and students now require a network connection to complete their requirements, and with that need comes the service providers who supply an internet connection to their subscribers all over the country. However, it is still somewhat unclear as to which internet service provider (ISP) truly provides the most optimal internet service for its users’ needs. In this research paper, four of the most widely availed ISPs in Cebu were compared with each other to determine which among them offers the most optimal internet service. The study wanted to determine which ISP was the most optimal, how efficient these services are, and the possible changes that would allow for improvement in the ISPs. When choosing the right ISP, one must factor in the internet speeds actually experienced by the customers, the prices of the deals and services offered, and the overall willingness of the ISP to provide assistance and customer service to the users who require it. Furthermore, using the GAP Model of Service Quality and the SERVQUAL Model as bases for the evaluation, they were compared in terms of their internet efficiency, their price, their overall customer ratings, and their average internet speeds which were subdivided into groups based on the advertised speeds of the ISPs. Out of the four, Converge came out on top with a decent internet efficiency, the best overall customer ratings, and with the relatively highest speeds in most of the average internet speed groupings. Further improvements to these ISPs were also determined in the form of better-quality customer service and improvements in internet infrastructure. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This chapter introduces the study on the most optimal internet service available to computer-course students studying in Cebu Institute of Technology. It also consists of the background and rationale, the statement of the problem, the significance, and the scope and limitations of the study. 1.1 Background and Rationale of the Study The modern age of technology has certainly placed a huge emphasis on the significance of an internet connection in the daily lives of the general population, and with the Covid-19 pandemic still being a pestilent hindrance to public activities, the ability to be online has become somewhat of a necessity. Due to these circumstances, many people are stuck at home with limited capability to go out which has caused many institutes to adopt an online mode of discourse. Furthermore, many workers and students have been forced to complete their jobs and tasks at home, so educational and work obligations now heavily require an internet connection. This requirement poses problems for those that have slow connections and those that cannot afford such services entirely as it may hinder their capability to do their work well. Thus, with the growing use of the internet in important duties, it is imperative for people to at least have basic access to a good network connection so that they have the best opportunities to engage in education and work (Reglitz, 2020). The internet becoming a mandatory necessity for online schoolwork has also revealed the importance of download, upload, and connection speeds since the ability to 2 attend live classes, submit works, and take exams are heavily dependent on a good connection. A study done by Michigan State University (2020) stated that slow internet connections or a lack of internet entirely can hinder students academically and can cause some of them to fall behind. A slow connection does not only impede the completion of schoolwork, but it can also influence how effectively students learn their subjects. Furthermore, given that there is an abundance of resources on the internet, having a bad connection makes it very difficult for students to utilize those resources properly. The lack of proper internet can also lead students to develop a deficiency in digital skill and literacy which may be important in taking online standardized tests and in applying for future jobs. Internet service providers (ISPs) are the ones that provide their customers with a network connection, and how well they conduct their services determines the network speeds of their subscribers. In the Philippines, many ISPs have faced many complaints from customers over their lack of effort in improving the internet situation of the country. The situation had gotten to a point where the President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, had to implement a directive back in early 2020 for these Telco companies to properly improve their services and internet speeds. Although the country has been able to slowly improve and rise to 63rd in broadband internet speed and 72nd in mobile internet speed from being 110th and 111th, respectively, this rise in the rankings does not truly represent any actual changes in the services experienced by most of their subscribers, or at the very least, the improvement has yet to make a large change in national (Araneta, 2021; Mercurio, 2021). With slow internet speeds and relatively unreliable customer service being present, it is certainly important to determine which of these ISPs can actually provide the best of these services. 3 In the Cebu City area specifically, the average download speed has been listed as 15.07 Mbps while the average upload speed is listed as 5.25 Mbps for the fourth quarter of 2021 (Ookla, 2021). For perspective, Armstrong (2021) stated that people are recommended to have an amount of 10 Mbps of designated download speed and at least 1 Mbps of designated upload speed per person doing work related tasks at home. Other studies have also stated that people are recommended to atleast have 25 Mbps oftotal download speed accompanied by3 Mbps of total upload speed if they perform work or class related activities at home (Novo, 2021; Reisinger & Westover, 2022). These amounts are derived from the different tasks that people usually take on when working from an online setting, such as attending and hosting meetings, sharing and downloading files, browsing websites, sending or downloading large assets from emails or chat messages, streaming required media, and performing different synchronous tasks with a team. Although these tasks are still manageable for people with far lower internet speeds as most applications and websites have features that allow them to run on relatively lower speeds albeit at the expense of their quality. This entails interruptions in meetings or calls due to disconnections or lag, long hours just to download or send files, and constant buffering when trying to load websites, videos, or other types of media. Having the recommended connection, or perhaps an even faster connection, largely prevents these nuisances from hindering people’s work, and it generally allows them to complete their tasks more efficiently and with less hassle. Sufficient digital skills, a fast connection, and a good grasp of what the world wide web has to offer can come in handy in computer courses. Therefore, having to deal with a 4 lacking or slow connection during one’s studies only makes it more difficult to perform well in these particular courses. Most of the resources used in computer-courses also require an internet connection to download programs or software and to upload and test code. Some classes may also require live coding exercises and other live programming activities which would be difficult with slow network speeds, and a poor internet connection also proves to be disadvantageous to the academic performance of computer course students. Additionally, with the internet speed in the cities of the Philippines, such as Cebu, being described as generally slow and unstable, these students are presented with a bigger hindrance. Hence, it is necessary for the computer-course students in Cebu to be able to determine which internet service provider can offer the best connection. 1.2 Statement of the Problem This study sought to determine the most optimal internet service provider available to computer-course students in a private university for them to be able to reach peak productivity when doing tasks. Specifically, this study aimed to answer these following research questions: 1. What is the most optimal internet service provider available in Cebu for computer-course students in a private university in terms of internet speed? 2. How efficient are the internet services offered by the internet service providers based on their internet speeds? 3. Based on the findings of the study, what intervention or what changes may be proposed in order to improve the internet services? 5 1.3 Significance of the Study This research aimed to provide information and knowledge regarding the chosen topic from recent studies or theses, respondents, and related sites needed for the importance to individuals as follows: Computer Instructors. The results would help the computer instructors evaluate the internet services provided by the telecommunication companies and recommend which is optimal and reliable in delivering their classes. Computer-course Students. This study provides information regarding which internet services are beneficial and optimal with their budget and location. This study investigates the opinions and reasons of computer-course students, including Information Technology, Computer Science, and Computer Engineering Students, on their preferred internet service provider. Future Researchers. Researchers could use this study as a reference to analyze the findings of their studies and develop new tests and research models involving internet services for future studies. 6 1.4 Scope and Limitation of the Study The study was only focused on determining the most optimal internet service provider available in Cebu for the computer-related students at Cebu Institute of Technology – University (CIT-U). It was conducted by a group of grade 12 students from CIT-U during the pandemic within the school year, 2021-2022, hence, there were several limitations in terms of what can be accomplished in the short period given. The study aimed to investigate the efficiency of each internet provider and the difficulties experienced by customers – specifically, the computer-related course students in CIT-U. Furthermore, the study also aimed to investigate the opinions and thoughts of these students regarding their preferred internet service for coding, programming, and other tasks related to their courses. This study was also only limited to computer-related course students enrolled in CIT-U and currently staying in Cebu. It also did not extend its scope towards hardware and software malfunctions that can inadvertently affect internet performance such as specific models of the gadgets used, their operating systems, the applications downloaded, and the like. The data and router speeds of the chosen internet services were, however, compared in this study, and these speeds were mainly calculated using the Ookla speed test. There were also unpreventable discrepancies in the collection of internet connection speeds, depending on the time the data was taken and how many users were on the network at a particular moment of time which were out of the researchers’ control. Furthermore, mobile internet connections were not taken into account, and four of the most availed internet services, namely PLDT, Globe, Sky, and Converge were the ones that were mainly taken into consideration. With this strategy, the researchers aimed to be able to ascertain which widely accessible internet service provider is the most optimal for peak productivity. 7 1.5 Definition of Terms Internet –It is a network system that facilitates worldwide communication and data access which using private, public, government, academic, and business networks spread throughout the globe. Internet Service - It is a provided service that allows customers to gain access to the internet by means of different kinds of technology. Internet Service Provider (ISP) – An ISP is a company that provides internet access to individuals and companies/businesses. Optimal - For the purpose of this study, it is defined as an internet service being stable, having an internet speed close to what is advertised, and lacking or having minimal issues in the service. Mobile Internet - A wireless internet access by the means of mobile devices (i.e. mobile data, Wi-Fi Hotspot, and other connections that use cellular data). Broadband Internet - A wired or wireless fast internet access that provides at least 25 Mbps of download speed and 3 Mbps of upload speed. Wi-Fi - It is the wireless technology used to connect computers, tablets, smartphones and other devices to the internet. Upload Speed - It refers to how quickly data can be transferred from a computer to the internet. 8 Download Speed - It refers to how quickly data from the internet can be transferred to a computer. Advertised Internet Speed - The speeds of the internet services as listed by the internet service providers. Actual Internet Speed - The real-time internet speeds that users are really experiencing. Network Latency - (Otherwise known as lag) It is the delays in communication or transferring of data over a network. Internet Efficiency - For the purposes of this study, internet efficiency is defined as a minimal difference between actual internet speed and advertised internet speed. Over Efficiency - The degree to which the actual internet speeds surpass what is advertised Mean - The calculated average of all data points in a data set. Standard Deviation - It is a statistical measure that quantifies the amount of dispersion of the individual data points in a dataset in relation to the mean. It essentially indicates how spread apart the data points are from the mean. Bandwidth - (also known as connection speed) The maximum amount of data transmitted over an internet connection in a given amount of time CHAPTER 2 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND This chapter presents various published articles, studies, and reviews relating to the efficiency of the internet service providers (ISPs) available in Cebu. This section also introduces related literature and studies that deal with the determining factors affecting internet speed and stability, the different internet service providers in Cebu, and the psychological effects on the students encountering severe internet problems that cause hindrance of peak productivity. The theoretical background and conceptual framework of the study are also presented. 2.1 Theory GAP Model of Service Quality In the GAP Model of Service Quality, Parasuraman, ZeithamI, and Berry (1985) stated that there are five main gaps when analyzing customer expectations in comparison to the actual delivered services of service providers. It is essentially a framework to allow businesses to examine customer satisfaction issues due to potential service inconsistencies and to allow them to make the necessary improvements. The first gap which is labeled as the knowledge gap deals with the contrast between the customers’ expectations of a service and what the management or providers think their consumers expect. Further exemplification of the knowledge gap would be an internet service provider supposing that their customers want newer model routers when in reality, the customers actually want more widespread internet infrastructure. This gap occurs when 10 the providers incorrectly assess what the customers may demand due to a lack of data or due to poor analysis of data. However, the knowledge gap may be narrowed through proper market research before introducing changes to services or by establishing more avid communication channels with the target consumers. The second gap, which is also known as the policy gap, handles the difference between the provider’s expectation of their customers’ wants or needs and the quality specifications of their service. Furthermore, this gap entails that the providers may correctly predict what service their customers expect, but there is a poor implementation of delivered services since the expected quality and standard is not properly specified or established. For example, the customers of an ISP expect their internet systems to be installed neatly, and employees offer this expected service; however, due to a lack of quality specifications, the personnel may not understand the proper way to arrange the wires which may cause customer dissatisfaction. The second gap can be dealt with by properly defining policies in maintaining service standards and quality, by training personnel regarding proper service policies, and by adjusting and updating these policies and standards when needed. The third gap, which is the performance gap, deals with the difference between the quality specifications of a service and what is actually delivered or implemented for that service. This gap occurs when businesses establish proper service standard policies, but the service is still executed poorly due to improper staff training or a lack of aptitude when delivering the service. Other factors like the attitude, health, and the cultural orientation of the customer may also lead to failure in consistently meeting expected service standards. An example of this gap is when a technician is tasked to properly install a router in a household after only minimal training leading to poor execution. To avoid or limit this gap, businesses should re-evaluate 11 whether their expected service standards are possible for personnel to achieve, and a proper selection, training, and customer-orientation process for the new staff should be done. Providing proper compensation and recognition to staff may also encourage service quality standards to be properly met. In the fourth gap or the communication gap, the contrast between the actual delivery of a specific service and what is externally communicated to customers regarding the service specifications is handled. The gap occurs when consumers’ expectations of services due to promotional advertising from a company is different from what customers actually receive or experience. It is mainly due to false claims and businesses over exemplifying their products. For example, the actual upload and the download speed of an internet service is vastly different from the advertised speeds of the ISP. In order to minimize this gap, service providers must be accurate, consistent, and realistic when relaying or presenting information about their product. The fifth gap or customer gap deals with the difference between the quality-of-service customers expect to receive as advertised by the company and the perceived quality of service of the customers. Additionally, this gap is due to the service issues from previous gaps or consumers’ misconception of the advertised quality of a legitimate service. A further exemplification of this would be the internet speed of an ISP’s service being reliable and exactly accurate with the advertised speed of the company; however, due to a long installation time or unavoidable problems during the process, the customer may perceive the service as possessing a low quality and be dissatisfied overall. Limiting the customer gap comes down to regularly collecting and properly analyzing customer feedback and also limiting the differences found in the aforementioned gaps (Lumen, 2022; Indeed, 2021; Expert Program Management, 2018). 12 The first four gaps can be mainly described as functions of service delivery, while the fifth gap mainly pertains to customers, which makes it regarded as the main measure of quality in offered services. Additionally, all the gaps presented in the model are used by businesses to enhance or optimize service quality for the overall improvement of consumer experience (All Answers Ltd., 2018). Sub-Theory: The SERVQUAL MODEL Another theoretical model of service quality, known as the SERVQUAL Model, was derived from the GAP Model of service quality by the same proponents. It further explains that the definition of service quality is that it is the contrast between what consumers expect out of the quality of a service before its delivery and the consumer’s perception of the service once it is delivered or implemented. Essentially, if customer expectations are greater than the actual execution of the service, then the perceived quality is less, and consumers become dissatisfied which denotes lower service quality. Furthermore, the model is essentially used to determine shortcomings in services so that businesses can deal with them accordingly. Although originally possessing ten main factors, further study led to the reduction of these factors into five key dimensions that express the difference between the perception of service quality and the expectations of customers (Parasuraman, et al., 1988). The five dimensions of the SERVQUAL Model are as follows: Reliability, Responsiveness, Tangibles, Assurance, and Sympathy. The Reliability dimension deals with service providers to provide their services reliably, accurately, and on time. The 13 Responsiveness dimension measures how effectively and how willingly service providers deal with problems and consumer complaints. The Tangibles dimension deals with physical facilities, machines, equipment, communication materials, and personnel of a firm or company; and how these things affect customers during service delivery. The Assurance dimension tackles possible credibility and trust firms have with their customers because of excellent professional services, attitude and courtesy of personnel, and proper communication. The final factor is the Sympathy/Empathy dimension, and it involves the potential care and consideration companies or firms provide to their customers so that the customers feel as if their expectations are truly met. These dimensions are used to analyze and evaluate expectations of services and customer perception, so that service providers have the room to truly improve and optimize their services (Parasuraman, et al., 1988; Marketing Study Guide, 2022; Commbox, 2020). These two theories were later supported by Arash Shahin in 2006 and have already been used and applied by many researchers in their own studies. They have stated that these models are some of the best received and most applied models in services literature. It has also been stated that it is one of the most efficient approaches to which has helped to prove the validity of these theories (Shahin, 2006) 2.2 Theoretical-Conceptual Framework The study uses Ananthanarayanan Parasuraman, Valarie Zeithaml, and Leonard L. Berry’s GAP Model of Service Quality and SERVQUAL Model as theoretical bases in determining the most optimal internet service provider in Cebu. The theories allow the 14 researchers to be able to determine and define the parameters for determining which internet service is of the highest quality and therefore, the most optimal. In terms of the GAP Model, the research study mainly utilizes the fourth and fifth gap as they are the gaps that fit most into the scope of the paper. This is because they deal with the difference between actual service delivery and customer expectation due to product promotion (i.e., differences in advertised internet speeds and actual internet speeds experienced by customers) and the difference between customer expectation due to product promotion and the perceived quality of the delivered service (i.e. customer’s dissatisfaction due to problems during the installation and use of an internet service). In terms of the SERVQUAL Model, five dimensions are used to identify gaps in the several characteristics of an internet service as follows: the Tangible dimension for the price, benefits, and types of internet technologies used in an internet service, the Reliability dimension for the dependability (i.e. stableness and speed) of the installed internet service in comparison to what was promised by the ISP, and the Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy dimensions for determining how effectively and readily ISPs deal with customer complaints and possible problems in the internet service. Furthermore, the study does not aim to bridge the gaps that the internet services may possess, but rather, it aims to ascertain how wide those gaps are. Depending on the size of the gaps, the researchers must provide the proper information that allows the students to choose the most optimal internet service. 15 THE MOST OPTIMAL INTERNET SERVICE Characteristics of the Internet Services offered by Internet Service Providers GAP Model of Service Quality Sub-Theory: SERVQUAL Model Theory Ananthanarayanan Parasuraman, Valarie Zeithaml and Leonard L. Berry Most Optimal Internet Service Provider for Students Efficiency of Internet Services Proposed Changes or Interventions to Improve Internet Services Figure 1 Schematic Diagram of Theoretical-Conceptual Framework 16 2. 3. Review of Related Readings 2.3.1 Review of Related Literature In 1994, the Philippine government was able to prioritize the availability of the internet in the country for the advantages that may come with the rise of technology. Based on the Statista Research Department (2021) statistical report, the Philippines had approximately 79.5 million internet users in 2020 making it one of the countries with the most internet users. On the contrary, with many internet users in the country, internet service providers are still having a hard time ensuring fast and stable internet connectivity. To further improve the coverage and service quality, studies have seen a major problem which is the insufficient amount of cell sites in the country. (The main reason for the poor connection is believed to be the slow progression in the addition of new ICT infrastructures (fiber optic cables, cell towers, etc.) (Pineda, 2021). According to Encarnacion (2020), building a single cell site requires at least 29 local government permits before it gets to be built. With the amount of time taken before each cell site is approved to be built, this also drags the improvement of the coverage of these ISPs. Globe (2020) stated that if only the government can make the process time and number of permits required be lessened, more cell sites would be built and functioning. Solving this problem would take months or years, but for now, the researchers from CIT-U would take a step towards this through investigating the most optimal Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Cebu. According to Howard (2022), one of the biggest considerations when selecting an ISP is internet speed because it refers to the amount of information and 17 data that can be transported over the web on a single connection at any instant. Although internet speed is a very important consideration, its stability also matters in day-to-day life. There are factors that affect the internet speed of a customer. The hardware used for connection such as cable or router, the number of users, the router location, the type of plan availed by the customer, the host server and using wireless connection are one of the factors that needs to be considered in testing the internet speed (Widjaya, 2020). Three of the internet service providers in the Philippines with widest coverage like Globe, PLDT, and Sky offer fiber optic internet, which is a good basis in choosing a plan. Although these companies have the fastest options, their customers still encounter several problems, especially their speed and stability. With the Philippines having to struggle in giving customers quality services to internet connection, there are still rising companies that are potentially going to provide the population with fast and stable services. These rising companies include Converge, DITO Telecommunities, and RISE. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rose which tested various situations that needed to be adapted. A controversial event would be online class learning. According to an Ookla report, the Philippines was able to move up to the 86th spot in the global rankings for mobile internet speed during the first quarter of 2021 (DICT, 2021). Although the global ranking of the Philippines is getting better, this still doesn’t represent the totality of the whole population experiencing a better internet connection. In May 2021, the Commission on Higher Education announced that there would be no face-to-face classes to avoid increasing cases in the country 18 even more. In this online class set-up, the internet has been very beneficial in disseminating information, learning materials, and holding synchronous meetings. In a news article by Chen (2020), he asked experts for help on what causes internet speed problems and how to solve them. In the list are several guidelines on what people can do, but ultimately, if the problem is within the internet provider, all they can do is call and wait for the internet providers’ assistance. Currently, in Cebu, many of the localities still have slow internet connections due to the aftermath of Odette, despite numerous complaints, efforts of restoration haven’t come to fruition (Saavedra, 2022). According to Chen, Liu, and Song (2019), the high-speed internet significantly influences work productivity. In relevance to the current situation in Cebu and the new semester in motion in schools, slow internet can cause hindrance to students’ academic performance. 2.3.2 Review of Related Studies Over the years, the Philippine telecommunication industry showed a significant change and development and faced a challenge in managing its services to meet the demands of its customers. Service quality is associated with customer satisfaction. Because of this, it attracted interest and is a crucial element in any business strategy. Customer satisfaction is essential to any business since it implies consumer repurchase intentions and loyalty: differentiation, reduced customer churn, increased customer lifetime value, reduced negative word-of-mouth, and customer retention (Alvarez & Saldivar, 2015). 19 The emergence of the Covid-19 Pandemic, which immobilized most of the human society, created challenges people hadn't foreseen. Due to this, the educational system quickly remedied the problem of student learning. A study by Abarintos et al. (2021) found that internet connectivity is a big concern for students' online learning. The institution, the school administration, the faculty, and the staff are all affected by this concept. As also shown in the study, the majority of the students have smartphones, which are helpful in today's learning because of their multiple functions. A study conducted by Salac and Kim (2016) suggests that the inefficiency of the slow internet speeds of the ISPs in the Philippines hinders the motivation and productivity of users to create and innovate in a way that will help contribute something to their work or development. This can indicate that the internet speed can have effects on the productivity of an individual which is relevant in the scope of our research. This claim is also backed up by a study made by Azcarraga and Peña (2019) stating an increase in Internet efficiency will also increase the productivity of firms, and so an improvement in internet connectivity and an increase in firms adopting internet to their workplace can both increase their productivity. Upon further investigation, Salac and Kim identified that ISP’s services and procedures can influence the internet cost and speed (Salac & Kim, 2016). Based on this information, some assumptions that there are Internet Providers here in the Philippines may have done something to affect their internet speed in order to make some changes in their price. 20 One study recommends several strategies to improve the country’s internet connection such as tax reliefs in telecommunications, demanding creation for connectivity, increased and improved infrastructure, and more competition in the telecommunication industry to spur on these improvements (Salac & Kim, 2019). Despite having an average of 4.3 Mbps in the country, the Philippines is still ranked one of the slowest internet speeds in Asia (Casillano, 2019). When talking about solutions on a slow internet speed, making use of this information can be an indication on which areas have good accessibility and connectivity. Taking increased infrastructure in mind, areas that are near a cell tower may have increased internet speeds on that certain ISP who owns that cell tower. Making that ISP optimal on their area, or a conclusion can also be made stating that the ISP who has more infrastructures are expected to have higher speeds than those who have lesser, making them take the most optimal spot. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This chapter presents the research design, technique, and the procedure used by the researchers in collecting data. The analysis of the data gathered is also presented in this section. 3.1 Research Design The study utilized a quantitative research design that focused on the evaluation of the various internet services of different internet service providers available in Cebu. It was also descriptive in nature as collected information was statistically analyzed. The survey method which involves collecting and analyzing data from the target population through survey questionnaires to allow the researchers to gain relevant data directly from the respondents was also employed in the study. It was considered as a suitable data collection technique for the situation as it is accessible, online, cost-effective, time-efficient, and most importantly safer for both the researchers and the respondents in the midst of the pandemic. The researchers used the survey method to gather information directly from the respondents mainly regarding their actual internet speeds, the package availed with its prices, whether respondents were located in Cebu, the ISP used, and the customer’s problems or lack of problems regarding the service received. Furthermore, secondary data analysis, which involves the use and examination of existing information that was previously collected by other researchers, organizations and institutions was employed in this study. Aside from that, gap analysis, which involves the 22 comparison between actual results and intended results, was also utilized. Secondary data analysis allowed the researchers to gather statistics and other applicable information from the internet service providers, organizations, and other relevant sources; whereas gap analysis allowed the researchers to investigate the differences between the actual service experience and the advertised service experience for different internet services in Cebu. 3.2 Description of Experiment To gather data, the researchers opted for standardized survey questionnaires as its first approach and secondary data analysis to attain existing valuable information that is relevant to the study. The Description of Experiment further describes the approach and presents more details about the experiment that were to be used. This provides an idea on where our data was gathered, how it was gathered, and how it was processed, as well as how the statistical values were calculated. 3.2.1 Research Environment The standardized survey was conducted online, and it had a strict location requirement, so the respondents only consisted of those located in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. This was because the study focused only on this area in order to give out correct, specific, and accurate information about the Internet Speeds of the different ISPs in Cebu City to provide useful information and to help ComputerCourse college students of CIT-U, or researchers who are studying the same topic, choose what the most optimal Promo and ISP that is available in their location. Furthermore, the study was only conducted within the college computer 23 departments of CIT-U. Upon choosing this location, the researchers were able to collect the appropriate data and present relevant information. 3.2.2 Research Instrument The instrument used in this research study was a standardized survey or questionnaires, wherein the researchers revised a set of close-ended questions for the survey from a related study and encoded them in Google Forms. With closeended questions, results relating to yes or no, multiple choice, or rating answers were gathered from each response and were then analyzed further in the results and findings. Online sources were also utilized to collect secondary or existing data that were relevant to the study. Statistical data from existing studies, articles, and sources relating to internet service providers’ deals, prices, and any other relevant information to this study were gathered to find out the most efficient and costfriendly deal for students. 3.2.3 Research Procedure Upon the approval of the research instrument, the researchers formally wrote a letter addressed to the CIT-U administration for their consent to conduct the study and the request to get the email addresses of the respondents to facilitate the research instrument via Google forms. Once the request was granted, the standardized online survey questionnaire using Google forms was sent to the CITU students, based on the research design. 24 After collecting all the data gathered, the researchers then carefully conducted the following phases: Phase 1: An Assessment of the Characteristics and the Services of the ISPs to Determine which is the Most Optimal With the biggest consideration being internet speeds, this step involved the comparison of the results of each ISPs based on their efficiency, similarities, and the possible outlying details with their prices, service packages, internet speeds, and also, determining the reasons and causes behind these outlying details, and the potential differences in efficiencies. The main objective of this was to determine which of the most availed ISPs is the most optimal for students. Data related to these parameters was gathered through the survey questionnaire and from previously collected data from online sources. Phase 2: Analysis of the Efficiency of the Internet Services For the analysis, the step utilized statistical techniques in order to calculate and examine the efficiency of the internet services. The actual experienced internet speeds, which were collected from the respondents, were recorded and enumerated, and were then carefully averaged and arranged. Furthermore, this data was also presented in tables and graphs in order to compare them with the advertised internet speeds of the ISPs for the purpose of determining the efficiency of the internet services. 25 Phase 3: Proposing Possible Interventions or Changes to Improve the Internet Services based on the Gathered Data In relation to the procedure in phase one and two regarding which ISP available in Cebu is the most optimal and the efficiency of their services, this step focused on using previously analyzed data to determine possible problems that the internet services may have in order to propose potential changes or interventions. These changes or interventions were for the main purpose of suggesting ways of improving the services as a whole and for the benefit of the computer-course students’ work and studies. 3.2.4 Statistical Techniques The data gathered from the standardized survey questionnaires given through Google forms was carefully recorded in tables, analyzed and interpreted accordingly based on the results of the statistical treatment using the following statistical techniques: Calculating the Means of the Recorded Internet Speeds from the Speedtest 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 = 𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 (𝑢𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑) 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑠 26 In order to get a general idea of the internet speeds actually experienced by customers, the separate means (averages) of the recorded upload speeds, download speeds, and network latency were calculated. Furthermore, these values were further divided into the different ISPs and the specific packages availed by the respondents as different internet service packages may offer different internet speeds. It essentially helped individually summarize the speeds of the different service packages offered by separate ISPs. Calculating the Standard Deviation and the Variance of the Recorded Internet Speeds ∑(𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 − 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛)2 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = √ 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑠 − 1 In order to get a general idea of how much the actual internet speeds in a package deviate from the mean, the standard deviation was also calculated as it can also be considered to show how consistent a service is regardless of other factors through the spread of the data. Essentially, if the lowest or the highest values are very far from the mean, then, perhaps, there could be a lot of variability in the package of that service. This showed whether the internet service packages were consistent in terms of the customers’ experience speeds. Furthermore, these values were also 27 separated depending on ISP and package availed. Breaking Down the Respondents per ISP and Package Availed The respondents were grouped according to their availed ISPs and packages in order to perhaps determine patterns, trends, or any outlying information depending on the characteristics of these different respondents. Aside from that, separating the respondents also allowed for further investigation on the most availed internet services and the potential underlying reasons behind their mass subscription. Comparison of Different Data Sets of Different ISPs using Graphical Analysis As the previous statistical techniques only described data collected for an individual ISP, the study utilized different joint graphs (ie. bar graph, pie chart, line graph) to be able to compare different ISPs’ services by placing the recorded data sets and values side-by-side. The comparison of the means of the actual experience internet speeds and the advertised speeds were also done through graphing. The discrepancies, similarities, and the outlying details were also analyzed in graphs. 28 3.3 Description of Subjects In this study, the respondents were students from CIT-U in computer-related courses. Specifically, college students enrolled in IT and CS courses, which are available in CIT-U. These courses take up to 4 to 5 years to accomplish, and they deal with either software or hardware or even both areas in computers. Furthermore, only a sample of the students, which consisted of 278 respondents out of a population of 1000, participated in answering the standardized survey for the study. CHAPTER 4 PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION, AND ANALYSIS OF DATA This chapter presents the presentation and interpretation of the data collected by the researchers. The analysis of the data gathered is also presented in this section. 4.1 The Most Optimal Internet Service Provider Based on Internet Speeds This section presents the data on the four internet service providers that will be analyzed in this paper. The main factor for ranking the ISPs and establishing the most optimal of them all is the comparison of their internet speeds. 4.1.1 Most availed ISP Internet Service Provider Number of Users PLDT 142 Globe 83 Converge 22 Sky Telecom 20 Table 1 Most Availed ISP The table above simply shows which of the four ISPs is the most availed with PLDT being the main leader, owning about 53.2% (142 students) of the sample population. Globe comes in second with 83 students which makes up 31.1% of the sample population while 30 Converge with 8.2% (22 students) and Sky Telecom with 7.5% (20 students) come in third and fourth, respectively. Out of all the ISPs, PLDT is the most widespread one with the most users, and this metric is also affected by the fact that it is the first ISP ever established in the Philippines. It can also be said that Converge’s lower number of subscribers has to do with the fact that it is a relatively new ISP in Cebu City, hence not as many people have been able to subscribe to the service yet. 4.1.2 PLDT PLDT Advertised Mean of Recorded Standard Deviation of Recorded Internet Speed Internet Speeds Internet Speed 30 MBPS 22.59 MBPS 9.80 MBPS 50 MBPS 45.94 MBPS 27.87 MBPS 100 MBPS 90.15 MBPS 27.12 MBPS 200 MBPS 178.76 MBPS 48.15 MBPS 300 MBPS 291.15 MBPS 93.96 MBPS Table 2 The Calculations for the Recorded Internet Speeds of PLDT Table 2 shows that the means of the recorded internet speeds are relatively close to what is advertised with the highest difference being only 21.24. However, the standard deviation is quite high for most of the sections which indicates that there is a lot of variation in the speeds experienced by the customers with the highest standard deviation from the 31 mean being 93.96. This also means that there is a big inconsistency with what customers expect to experience and what they actually experience. Furthermore, due to the differences in the history of price plans and the frequent updates in the newer subscriber plans, there is really a lack of consistency with what price belongs to which advertised speeds. At times, customers who pay more experience the same speed than customers who pay less simply because they subscribed at different dates or because their service had not been updated yet. For this reason, the data in the table was arranged by advertised speeds and not by price. 4.1.3 Globe Globe Advertised Mean of Recorded Standard Deviation of Recorded Internet Speed Internet Speeds Internet Speed 30 MBPS 15.95 MBPS 10.71 MBPS 50 MBPS 54.93 MBPS 14.57 MBPS 100 MBPS 97.82 MBPS 14.30 MBPS 150 MBPS 147.28 MBPS 31.14 MBPS 300 MBPS 187.74 MBPS 70.99 MBPS Table 3 The Calculations for the Recorded Internet Speeds of Globe 32 Table 3 shows that the means are still relatively close to what is advertised with the exception of the 300 Mbps speed group. The difference between the mean and the advertised speed reached 112.26 Mbps which indicates that many of the users who availed of that speed did not experience an internet speed close to what was promised. It is also noteworthy to mention that the users in the 30 Mbps speed group, on average, only experience about half of what is promised. Furthermore, the variation between the individual speeds from the mean is relatively not too high, but again, with the exception of the 300 Mbps speed group whose standard deviation reached 70.99 Mbps. This indicates that the individual values are quite far in value to the mean, but it must be mentioned that the mean itself is much lesser than what is advertised. Similar to PLDT, Globe has also been active for a very long period; hence, the pricings and promised speeds may vary greatly due to the fact that over their history, they had to keep updating and changing the prices and speeds of their services to suit the changing requirements of the masses. This indicates that some of the deals that customers have acquired may not be the most updated which causes some of the indicated advertised speeds that the respondents inputted to be different in terms of price. Therefore, the speeds were grouped in terms of advertised speeds to make it more consistent. 33 4.1.4 Converge Converge Advertised Mean of Recorded Standard Deviation of Recorded Internet Speed Internet Speeds Internet Speed 50 MBPS 121.84 MBPS 75.36 MBPS 100 MBPS 166.58 MBPS 9.24 MBPS 200 MBPS 144.43 MBPS 1.82 MBPS 300 MBPS 272.74 MBPS 128.71 MBPS Table 4 The Calculations for the Recorded Internet Speeds of Converge For table 4, the data is quite interesting as for both the 50 and 100 Mbps groups, the means go way beyond what is advertised with the 50 Mbps group having a mean that is 71.26 points above 50 Mbps. In the 200 and 300 Mbps groups, however, the means are smaller than the advertised speeds as expected, but they are not too far off with the largest gap being only 55.57 Mbps from the promised 200 Mbps. Additionally, the standard deviations for Converge are small for the 100 and 200 Mbps groups. For the 50 and 300 Mbps groups they are relatively high, but for this case, they do not necessarily mean anything negative. Although there is a lot of variation in the speeds, many of the individual recorded speeds, especially in the 50 Mbps group and even the 300 Mbps group, surpass the speed that was promised; therefore, for this special case, the variation in speeds benefits the users as they go above the mean and above what was advertised. 34 4.1.5 Sky Telecom Sky Telecom Advertised Mean of Recorded Standard Deviation of Recorded Internet Speed Internet Speeds Internet Speed 20 MBPS 13.09 MBPS 9.91 MBPS 30 MBPS 19.22 MBPS 15.62 MBPS 50 MBPS 26.45 MBPS 24.80 MBPS 100 MBPS 36.87 MBPS 34.46 MBPS 150 MBPS 64.68 MBPS 35.03 MBPS Table 5 The Calculations for the Recorded Internet Speeds of Sky Telecom Table 5 shows that most of the means of the recorded speeds have a very large difference when compared to what is advertised with the largest gap being 85.42 points below the 150 Mbps that is promised. Although the standard deviations are not too high as compared to the other ISPs with the highest standard deviation being 35.03, the fact that the means are way below what is advertised indicates that this low variation means that many of the individual speeds are also way below what is advertised. This means that overall, the experienced internet speeds of Sky Telecom users are quite low in comparison to the other ISPs. 35 4.1.6 Comparison of the ISPs Internet Speeds: Figure 2 Graph of the Comparison between the Means of the ISP’s Speeds The comparison in Figure 2 points to the fact that overall, Converge has the highest average speeds in terms of at least the 50 and 100 Mbps speed groups with the gap between the nearest mean of the next ISP being more than 50 Mbps. Being practically linear, PLDT’s graph is the most consistent in terms of the means of their recorded speeds being relatively close to the advertised one, and their mean for the 150/200 Mbps and the 300 Mbps are even the highest among the four ISPs with Converge being a close second. Globe is about third in terms of overall speeds with their 150/200 Mbps and 300 Mbps groups being relatively far from the mean, and Sky Telecom is the overall lowest since all their 36 means are much lesser when compared to the other ISP’s means and to the advertised Speed. Out of all of them, Converge ranks first in terms of just the means of the experienced speeds, while Sky Telecom ranks at the very bottom. ISP Advertised Speed SD/Mean Score (CV) PLDT 50 MBPS 0.607 100MBPS 0.301 150/200 MBPS 0.269 50 MBPS 0.265 100MBPS 0.146 150/200 MBPS 0.211 50 MBPS 0.602 100MBPS 0.055 150/200 MBPS 0.013 50 MBPS 0.938 100MBPS 0.935 150/200 MBPS 0.542 Globe Converge Sky Telecom Table 6 A Comparison of the different ISPs’ Speeds using SD/Mean Scores 37 Note - Lower Coefficient of Variation (CV) or SD/Mean scores usually indicate that the mean of the internet speeds are close to what is advertised while having low variation, whereas higher CV scores indicate the opposite. The lowest scores of each group were also colored green while the highest were colored red. Since the number of those who availed per ISP greatly varies in amount, the researcher used the mean/SD score to somewhat give a more leveled comparison between the ISPs speeds using a unitless ratio assigned to three specific advertised speed groups namely 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and 150/200 Mbps. This metric allows for another method to compare the ISPs while somewhat balancing out the disparity in their number of users. For the 50 Mbps group in table 6, Globe leads all ISPs followed by PLDT, Converge, and then Sky Telecom. For the 100 Mbps Group, Converge vastly leads all ISPs with the lowest CV score followed by Globe, PLDT, and then Sky Telecom. For the 150/200 Mbps Group, Converge again vastly leads all ISPs followed by Globe, PLDT, and then Sky Telecom. Converge boasts the two lowest scores out of the three groups, while Sky Telecom owns the highest of the scores in all groups. This indicates that generally out of all the four, Converge recorded the highest average speeds while having very low variation from the mean. Whereas, Sky had the lowest averages for the recorded speeds while having relatively intermediate variations in the individual speeds when compared to the mean. 38 Price: ISP Advertised Fiber Speeds Price (in Philippine Pesos) PLDT 50 MBPS ₱ 1699 100 MBPS ₱ 2099 300 MBPS ₱ 2699 50 MBPS ₱ 1599 150 MBPS ₱ 2099 300 MBPS ₱2699 50 MBPS ₱ 1500 60 MBPS ₱ 1599 300 MBPS ₱ 2500 75 MBPS ₱ 1699 150 MBPS ₱ 2299 200 MBPS ₱ 2799 Globe Converge Sky Telecom Table 7 The Listed Prices of the Advertised Fiber Speeds 39 Since the four ISPs have varying prices and special deals or promos that change every year, only the most recent prices for the base fiber speeds will be used in the comparison to make it more consistent. Furthermore, not all ISPs offer the same speeds as the others like for example PLDT which still offers a 100 Mbps fiber internet deal while Converge, Globe, and Sky Telecom do not. Hence, the main comparisons will be done for the prices which offer the same speeds. In terms of the 50 Mbps group in table 7, Converge offers the cheapest price of ₱1500 for that speed. Additionally, Sky Telecom offers 75 Mbps for ₱1699 which is the same amount that PLDT is charging for 50 Mbps. For the 100 to 150 Mbps offers, Globe offers the cheapest price of ₱2099 for 150 Mbps which is the same amount PLDT is charging for 100 Mbps. For the 300 Mbps Group, Converge offers the cheapest deal of ₱2500 for 300 Mbps; whereas, Sky Telecom charges ₱2799 for 100 less Mbps. Overall, Converge offers the cheapest prices. 4.1.7 The Most Optimal ISP Based on the calculated means, standard deviations, mean/sd scores, and specific prices (more specifically the 50 and 300 Mbps Groups), the overall most optimal internet service provider is Converge. It led in most areas of those categories while having recorded internet speeds whose means went above what was advertised. Therefore, Converge is the most optimal ISP based on these metrics. 40 4.2 Efficiency of Internet Services Offered by Internet Service Providers Based on The Internet Speeds Based on the findings, data for PLDT, Sky, and Globe was filtered and treated differently to deal with the variability of prices due to different fiber plans that are not recent and changed or phased out on their services. In solving the inconsistencies, the data from the survey were grouped based on the internet speed ranges. As for the advertised speed, the researchers decided to make the latest 2022 fiber plans of the ISPs as the reference. Also, the data plans provided by the respondents served as a secondary variable in choosing their range group, e.g., a respondent with an average internet speed of 100 Mbps was placed on a 50 Mbps advertised speed range because of his 50 Mbps plan subscription. After grouping the data with their respective internet speeds, the mean of each recorded internet speed per range group was calculated and subtracted by its corresponding advertised internet speed. The difference between the mean of the recorded internet speed and the advertised internet speed indicates the loss or gain of the internet speeds. The denoted negative values imply that the internet speed delivers less and is lacking from what they have advertised. In the case of positive values, those indicate that the recorded internet speeds surpassed the advertised internet speeds. Then, the researchers calculated the percentage of the mean of the recorded internet speeds to the advertised speeds for each range group to prove the efficiency rating of service delivery. In correlation to the fourth gap of the GAP Model of service quality, if the efficiency rating or the consumer's experienced internet speed is closer to or more than 100% of the advertisement, it shows 41 that the internet service providers are relatively accurate and realistic in relaying their services. Hence, their effort in delivering or giving more from what they advertised. Formula: MEAN OF RECORDED INTERNET SPEED - ADVERTISED SPEED - = DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADVERTISED AND RECORDED RECORDED SPEED/ADVERTISED SPEED X 100 = Efficiency Rating The following tables show the difference and percentage of the mean of the recorded speeds from their corresponding advertised internet speeds for every ISPs, i.e., PLDT, Globe, Sky Telecom, and Converge. 4.2.1 PLDT PLDT Advertised Internet Speed Mean of Recorded Internet Speed Difference between Recorded and Advertised Efficiency Rating 30 MBPS 22.59 MBPS -7.41 75% 50 MBPS 45.94 MBPS -4.06 92% 100 MBPS 90.15 MBPS -9.85 90% 200 MBPS 178.76 MBPS -21.24 89% 300 MBPS 291.15 MBPS -8.85 97% 600 MBPS 519.38 MBPS -80.62 87% Table 8 Difference Between Recorded and Advertised Speeds of PLDT The table above shows that PLDT's difference between recorded and advertised speeds scales from -80.62 to -4.06 Mbps with a 75 to 97 percentage. Its 300 Mbps plan has 42 a 97% efficiency rating, making it the most efficient of their plans, followed by their 50 Mbps plan with a 92% efficiency. The 30 Mbps plan had the least efficiency rating of 75%. 4.2.2 GLOBE Globe Advertised Internet Speed Mean of Recorded Internet Speed Difference between Recorded and Advertised Efficiency Rating 30 MBPS 15.95 MBPS -14.05 53% 50 MBPS 54.93 MBPS +4.93 110% 100 MBPS 97.82 MBPS -2.18 98% 150 MBPS 147.28 MBPS -2.72 98% 300 MBPS 187.74 MBPS -112.26 63% 500 MBPS 527.37 MBPS +27.37 105% Table 9 Difference Between Recorded and Advertised Speeds of Globe The table above presents the difference between Globe's recorded and advertised speeds ranging from -112.26 to +27.37 Mbps with a 53 to 110 percent. The 50 Mbps plan had reached a 110% efficiency rating making it the most efficient, followed by 500, 100, and 150 Mbps plans. Sadly, their 30 and 300 Mbps plan had 53% and 63% efficiency, respectively, making both the least efficient for Globe. 4.2.3 SKY TELECOM Sky Telecom Advertised Internet Speed Mean of Recorded Internet Speed Difference between Recorded and Advertised Efficiency Rating 20 MBPS 13.09 MBPS -6.91 65% 43 30 MBPS 19.22 MBPS -10.78 64% 50 MBPS 26.45 MBPS -23.55 53% 100 MBPS 36.87 MBPS -63.13 37% 150 MBPS 64.68 MBPS -85.32 43% Table 10 Difference Between Recorded and Advertised Speeds of Sky Telecom Sky Telecom's difference ranges from -85.32 up to -6.91 Mbps with a 37 to 65 percentage. Their 20 Mbps plan, with their highest efficiency rating for Sky Telecom, had a 65%, while the lowest efficiency rating is the 100 Mbps plan, with a 37% efficiency. 4.2.4 CONVERGE Since Converge is relatively new to the rest of the ISPs, there were fewer inconsistencies in the prices provided by the respondents. Also, the 2022 plans on their website are the same as the responses. Therefore there is no need to use the said procedures of filtering and grouping like the other ISPs for the advertised internet speeds. However, finding the mean of recorded internet speed, the difference between recorded and advertised speed and efficiency rating has the same procedure. Converge Advertised Internet Speed Mean of Recorded Internet Speed Difference between Recorded and Advertised Efficiency Rating 50 MBPS 121.84 MBPS +71.84 244% 100 MBPS 166.58 MBPS +66.58 167% 200 MBPS 144.43 MBPS -55.57 72% 300 MBPS 272.74 MBPS -27.26 91% Table 11 Difference Between Recorded and Advertised Speeds of Converge 44 The table for Converge shows that the difference ranges from -55.57 to +71.84 with a 72 to 244 percentage. Since exceeding its advertised speed, the 50 Mbps plan reaches an efficiency rating of 244%, making it the most efficient of all the available internet plans for all four ISPs. Next to the highest efficiency rating is their 100 Mbps plan with a 167% efficiency rating. The lowest efficiency rating for Converge is their 200 Mbps having 72%. 4.2.4 THE MOST EFFICIENT INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER The basis for determining the most efficient plan will be the efficiency rating for all four internet service providers. From the result stated above, Converge had two of the most efficient internet plans, with its advertised 50 and 100 Mbps plan having a 244% and 167% efficiency rating, respectively. Following Converge, Globe had a 110% and 105% efficiency rating with their 50 and 500 Mbps plan. Sky Telecom had the least efficient internet plan, with their 100 Mbps plan to experience a 37% efficiency rating. 45 4.3 Interventions or Proposed Changes Average Rating PLDT Globe Converge Sky Telecom 3.5/5 3.6/5 4/5 2.9/5 3.5/5 3.6/5 4/5 3.2/5 3.8/5 3.8/5 4.2/5 3.5/5 2.8/5 3/5 3.4/5 2.5/5 3.5/5 3.7/5 4/5 2.8/5 Price Rating Reliability Rating Internet Speed Rating Customer Service Rating Rating for ISP as a whole Table 12 The Average Ratings of each ISP in Different Categories Based on the gathered data, the other factors users look at when availing an internet service from an ISP are the reliability of connection, the price, the internet speed, and the customer service. Table 12 shows the mean for each grouped data for each ISP rating. In connection with the 5th Gap of the Gap Model, the closer the rating is to 5, the more satisfied the customers are with their services and the closer it is to 1, the more dissatisfied the customers are on the other hand. As shown in the table, customer service rating for each of the ISP is the aspect that needs to be improved even more as it gathered the least ratings. Regarding the prices, Sky Telecom needs to improve their plans by making the prices at a lower range but could deliver good quality service. Once Sky Telecom would change its’ services for the better, its’ overall rating as an ISP would also increase as it had 46 the least satisfactory level too from the customers. Although PLDT has the most users based on the responses, its average rating for each aspect is just third in the ranking, Globe - second, Sky Telecom - last, and Converge leading the survey in totality. In terms of proposed changes, the researchers recommend the ISPs to improve their ability to respond to their customers and their willingness to empathize and help their customers with their issues. This is for purpose of essentially decreasing the customer gap or the gap between the quality-of-service customers expect to receive as advertised by the ISP and the perceived quality of service of the customers. With this improvement, the ISPs can eliminate a lot of the issues as a quicker and higher quality customer service or response can help in fixing the connection reliability issues, in quickly dealing with customer complaints, and in improving the customer’s overall impression of the ISP. Another suggested improvement would be in the form of an increase in internet infrastructure to further improve internet speeds as the years go on. There is definitely still a lot of room to improve in terms of infrastructure and the areas it reaches, so an improvement here will help deal with problems in internet speeds. The researchers also recommend that the ISPs always engage in proper competition with each other in the market as these ISPs are businesses and what bolsters fast improvement in the service industry is competition among other businesses. CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS This chapter presents the summaries, the conclusions, and the recommendations to be made regarding the findings of this research study. It also includes further recommendations for researchers who plan to study topics similar or relating to the subject of this study. 5.1 Summary of Findings The findings of the study were subdivided according to the sub-problems found in Chapter one and were further summarized in this section. 1. In terms of the most availed ISP, PLDT had the most subscribers with 53.2% or 142 users from the total number of respondents. For the mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation calculations of the internet speeds, Converge led in most of the categories during the comparison while even having mean internet speeds that surpassed the advertised speeds. In terms of the price of each ISPs’ fiber deals, Converge had the cheapest deals in terms of the 50 Mbps and 300 Mbps speed groups. From all the collected data, Converge was found out to be the overall most optimal internet service provider available in Cebu. 48 2. For the most efficient internet service provider in delivering an internet connection, Converge had the highest results out of the four major ISPs in Cebu City, with their 50 Mbps plan having an efficiency rating of 244%. Globe is the second ISP having a 110% efficiency rating with their 50 Mbps plan. One can clearly see that Sky Telecom had the least efficient internet service, especially with their 100 Mbps plan having a 37% efficiency rating. 3. The customer service rating for each of the ISP is consistent in terms of the aspect that needs to be improved even more as it gathered the least ratings. Although PLDT has the most users based on the responses, its average rating for each aspect is just third in the ranking, Globe - second, Sky Telecom - last, and Converge leading the survey in totality. In terms of proposed changes, the researchers recommend the ISPs to improve their ability to respond to their customers and their willingness to empathize and help their customers with their issues. With this enhancement, ISPs can eliminate a number of concerns, as faster and higher-quality customer service or response can aid in the resolution of customer complaints, and the improvement of the customer’s overall perception of the ISP. An increase in internet infrastructure to further improve internet speeds as the years go on would also help in lowering the gap of the internet speeds being relatively slow in general. 49 5.2 Conclusion After collecting and analyzing the data from the respondents and external sources, the best internet services available in Cebu, in conclusion, are provided by Converge. It not only performed relatively better than the other internet service providers in terms of internet speeds, efficiency, and price for most of the groupings, but it also led all ISPs in terms of the overall rating. Converge was the most highly rated, consistent, decently efficient, and relatively affordable ISP compared to the rest; hence, determined to be the provider with the most optimal internet service available in Cebu for computer-course students. 5.3 Recommendations The study presented the results of the four internet service providers, i.e., PLDT, Globe, Sky Telecom, and Converge. Thus, the following recommendations are hereby presented: 1. With the given data by the respondents, Converge is the most optimal internet service provider in terms of internet speed. With its 50 Mbps only at 1500 pesos and being over efficient compared to the more expensive plans, certainly the go-to plan with a tight budget. An upgrade is not advisable, but wanting to spend on higher services, Converge's more expensive plans are trustworthy. 50 2. Given the results for the efficiency ratings of the four major internet service providers in Cebu City, computer-course students could choose an internet service based on their preferred target internet plans. Computer instructors could deliver, improve and maintain a quality education knowing the most efficient ISP available is Converge. Globe is the second wise option, especially with their 50 Mbps plans. Though Sky Telecom offers lesser internet speed plans, the efficiency of their internet services is lesser compared to the three ISPs. 3. The customer service rating needs to be addressed by the internet service providers. If they want to improve and provide better service, they have to listen to their customers. For instance, if an ISP says that the internet service will return the next day at a specific time, they should follow what they announced or deliver faster customer service. The researchers also experienced these problems with their service. The only thing the consumers could do is report the problem immediately to the ISPs if it is troublesome, serious, and in need of attention. 51 5.4 Further Recommendations for Research For further recommendations, researchers may dig deep more about the factors affecting the internet speeds in terms of a wireless connection and do something similar in this research, but instead using the wireless connections of different ISPs. Future researchers could also try to determine which ISP has the most efficient wireless connection (e.g., data and load-dependent routers). In addition, exploring the possibilities of the hardware and software factors affecting internet speeds can perhaps open up new possibilities for the study. We then would use this new information that we gathered to devise a solution that would fix both software and hardware malfunctions affecting internet speeds. Additionally, future researchers may also factor in the time and the specific areas/zones the respondents took the spend test in, and they can also experiment with other speed tests that are directly installed into the computer as they may yield more accurate results. With that being said, the recommendations above are some of the limitations of the study that these researchers would have included if given more time to conduct and analyze the data as a whole. 52 52 BIBLIOGRAPHY Published Theses/Dissertation Shahin, A. (2006), "SERVQUAL and model of service quality gaps: A framework for determining and prioritizing critical factors in delivering quality services", In: Service quality – An introduction, Partha Sarathy V. (pp. 117-131). Andhra Pradesh: ICFAI University Press https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237703019_SERVQUAL_and_Model_ of_Service_Quality_Gaps_A_Framework_for_Determining_and_Prioritizing_Crit ical_Factors_in_Delivering_Quality_Services Abarintos, E. C. et al. (2021). Internet Connection and Learning Device Availability of College Students: Basis for Institutionalizing Flexible Learning in the New Normal. Olongapo City Sports Complex: Gordon College. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED613639.pdf’ Journal Articles Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1988). Communication and Control Processes in the Delivery of Service Quality. Journal of Marketing, 52(2), 35–48. https://doi.org/10.2307/1251263 Salac, R. A., & Kim, Y. S. (2016). A Study on The Internet Connectivity in The Philippines. Asia Pacific Journal of Business Review, 1(1), 67–88. https://doi.org/10.20522/apjbr.2016.1.1.67 Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41– 50. https://doi.org/10.2307/1251430 53 Alvarez, M. G. & Saldivar, J. G. (2015). Customer Satisfaction on the Services of Telecommunication Companies. Santiago City, Isabela: Cagayan Valley Computer and Information Technology College, Inc. https://www.academia.edu/12131112/CUSTOMER_SATISFACTION_ON_THE _SERVICES_OF_TELECOMMUNICATION_COMPANIES Azcarraga, A., & Peña, P. J. (2019). Technology and Automation as Sources of 21stCentury Firm Productivity: The Economics of Slow Internet Connectivity in the Philippines. Presented at the DLSU Research Congress 2019, De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/ArnoMikhail-Azcarraga/publication/344470946_Technology_and_Automation_ as_Sources_of_21st-Century_Firm_Productivity_The_Economics_of_Slow_ Internet_Connectivity_in_the_Philippines/links/61237a55232f955865a44311/Tec hnology-and-Automation-as-Sources-of-21st-Century-Firm-Productivity-TheEconomics-of-Slow-Internet-Connectivity-in-the-Philippines.pdf Casillano, N. F. B. (2019). Challenges of Implementing an E-Learning Platform in an Internet Struggling Province in the Philippines. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 12(10), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst/2019/v12i10/137594 Chen, S., Liu, W., & Song, H. (2019). BROADBAND INTERNET, FIRM PERFORMANCE, AND WORKER WELFARE: EVIDENCE AND MECHANISM. Economic Inquiry, 58(3), 1146–1166. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecin.12854 Online Articles 54 Araneta, M.R. (2021). Official slams poor Internet connection. Retrieved from Manila Standard website: https://manilastandard.net/news/national/348697/official-slamspoor-internet-connection.html/ Mercurio, R. (2021). Philippines internet speeds continue to improve. Retrieved from Philstar.com website: https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/08/20/2121180/philippines-internetspeeds-continue-improve Chen, B. X. (2020). Everything you need to know about slow internet speeds. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/technology/personaltech /slow-internetspeeds.html Saavedra, J. R. (2022). Cebu City mayor to meet telco execs on “slow” reconnection. Retrieved from: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1166911 SUNSTAR. (2020). CHED 7 pushes for online learning mode in August. Retrieved from: https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1857426/cebu/local-news/ched-7-pushes-foronline-learning-mode-in-august Michigan State University. (2020). Poor Internet connection leaves rural students behind. Retrieved from MSUToday | Michigan State University website: https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2020/poor-internet-connection-leaves-ruralstudents-behind Reglitz, M. (2020). Internet access is a necessity not a luxury – it should be a basic right. Retrieved from University of Birmingham website: 55 https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/ptr/departments/philosophy/news/2020/regl itz-internet-access.aspx Online Sources All Answers Ltd. (November 2018). Theories and Concepts of the SERVQUAL Model. Retrieved from https://ukdiss.com/examples/origins-of-servqualmodel.php?vref=1 Armstrong, R. L. (2021). How Much Internet Speed Do I Need to Work from Home | HighSpeedInternet.com? Retrieved from HighSpeedInternet.com website: https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/how-much-internet-speed-to-workfromhome#:~:text=What%20is%20a%20good%20internet,the%20same%20time%20wi thout%20interruptions Cloudflare. (2022). What is latency? | How to fix latency. Retrieved from Cloudflare website: https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/performance/glossary/what-islatency/ CommBox. (2020 SERVQUAL - Why and How You Should Measure the Quality of Service at Your Organization. Tips, Guide. Retrieved from CommBox website: https://www.commbox.io/servqual-why-and-how-you-should-measure-the-qualityof-service-at-your-organization-tips-guide/ DICT. (2021). PH moves up in mobile internet speed global rankings. Retrieved from: https://dict.gov.ph/ph-moves-up-in-mobile-internet-speed-global-rankings/ 56 Encarnacion, A. (2020). Building a single cell site in PH needs 29 permits and at least 9 months of waiting time. Retrieved from: https://www.noypigeeks.com/telecoms/cell-sites-philippines/ Expert Program Management. (2018). Gap Model of Service Quality Retrieved from: https://expertprogrammanagement.com/2018/03/gap-model-service-quality/ Howard, A. (2021). Everything You Need To Know About Internet Speeds. Retrieved from: https://www.allconnect.com/blog/consumers-guide-to-internet-speed Indeed Editorial Team. (2022). What Is the GAP Model of Service Quality? Retrieved from: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/gap-model JetSpot. (2015). What is the difference between Internet Speed & Download Speed? Retrieved from JetSpot website: https://www.jetspot.in/what-is-the-differencebetween-internet-speed-downloadspeed/#:~:text=Connection%20speed%20(or%20Internet%20Bandwidth,connectio n%20provided%20by%20your%20ISP.&text=On%20the%20other%20hand%2C %20when,is%20interpreted%20as%20Download%20Speed Lumen. (2022). The Gap Model of Service Quality. Retrieved from: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-retailmanagement/chapter/the-gapmodel-of-service-quality/ Marketing Study Guide. (2022). Retrieved from Marketingstudyguide.com website: https://www.marketingstudyguide.com/understanding-the-servqual-model/ 57 Ookla. (2022). Philippines’s Mobile and Broadband Internet Speeds - Speedtest Global Index Retrieved from Speedtest Global Index website: https://www.speedtest.net/global-index/philippines Pineda, A. (2021). Best DSL & Fiber Internet Broadband Providers & Plans in the Philippines. Retrieved from Grit PH website: https://grit.ph/internet-plans/ Reviews.com Staff. (2021). Download vs. upload speed: What’s the difference? Retrieved from ZDNet website: https://www.zdnet.com/article/download-vsupload-speed-whats-the-difference/ Statista. (2017). Philippines: number of internet users 2017-2026 Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/221179/internet-users-philippines/ Techopedia. (2011). Internet. Retrieved from Techopedia.com website: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/2419/internet Toolshero. (2018). SERVQUAL Model. Retrieved from toolshero website: https://www.toolshero.com/quality-management/servqual-model/ Twin, A. (2022). What You Should Know About Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Retrieved from Investopedia website: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/isp.asp Verizon. (2020). Bandwidth. Retrieved from Verizon Fios website: https://www.verizon.com/info/definitions/bandwidth/ 58 Verizon. (2020). Broadband. Retrieved from Verizon Fios website: https://www.verizon.com/info/definitions/broadband/ Verizon. (2020). What is Wi-Fi? | Definition, Meaning & Explanation | Verizon Fios. Retrieved from Verizon.com website: https://www.verizon.com/info/definitions/wifi Widjaya, I. (2020). 12 Factors that Could Impact Your Internet Speed. Retrieved from: https://www.noobpreneur.com/2020/09/17/12-factors-that-could-impact-yourinternet-speed/ Woodward, T. (2018). Internet Stability — Why it’s just as important as speeds. Retrieved from: https://www.balticbroadband.com/2018/02/12/internet-stabilityjust-importantspeeds/#:~:text=Speed%20is%20an%20important%20feature%2C%20after%20al l%2C%20and,Stability%2C%20however%20is%20equally%20if%20not%20mor e%20important 59 APPENDICES Appendix A – Transmittal Letter April 14, 2022 Cherry Lyn Sta. Romana Dean, College of Computer Studies Cebu Institute of Technology – University Dear Ma’am Romana, We, the Senior High School students from Grade 12 – Competence, are currently conducting a study entitled, “A Study on the Most Optimal Internet Service Available in Cebu for Computer-Course Students in Cebu Institute of Technology University.” The objective of this study is to provide information on and to determine the most ideal internet service that computer course students residing in Cebu can avail so that they can achieve their tasks most efficiently. For this purpose, we are requesting permission to allow us to collect data through a standardized survey questionnaire which will be distributed among the computer-course College Students (IT & CS departments) as a basis for the research study. We humbly hope that this proposal will gain your approval. Thank you and God bless! Respectfully yours, Paul M. Abellana _____________________________ Christian Barry R. Alico _____________________________ John Michael N. Borromeo _____________________________ Francis Benedict Y. Chavez _____________________________ Charles Luis G. Gaid (Group Leader) Jose Ely P. Perez _____________________________ Tristan James Y. Tolentino _____________________________ Noted by: ENGR. SAM LASISTE Research Adviser LINA N. BAGUIO, Ph.D. Instructor, Research 3 & 4 60 ENGR. ALONA M. SOLIS Assistant to the Principal, SHS Department RANIZA R. ROMERO, Ed.D. Principal, SHS Department SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Dear Respondents, We, the students from Grade 12 - Competence of the STEM strand are conducting an initial online survey questionnaire for our research study entitled "A Study on the Most Optimal Internet Service Available for Computer-Course Students in Cebu Institute of Technology - University CIT-U". This survey will help us gather firm and necessary information for our research study. This study aims to find the most optimal internet service provider which can help for the peak productivity of the computer-course students in CIT-U. This survey assesses the three most common internet service providers (Sky, Globe, Converge, and PLDT) that could benefit people by summarizing the data gathered on which of the three gives the utmost satisfaction among the respondents, computer-course students in CIT-U. We appreciate your time and effort in taking up this survey despite your hectic schedules. We assure you that all responses from this survey will be treated with strict confidentiality and will be used solely for research purposes only. According to the RA No. 10173, information that will be disclosed here will only be used for the study and will not be revealed to the general public. Preliminary Questions: 1. Full Name (FIRST NAME, MI., LAST NAME) ________________________________________ 2. Institutional Email Address (@cit.edu) ________________________________________ 3. Please Specify your Department/Program Degree and Year (ex. BCS/2 or BIT/1) _______________________________________ 3. Are you a current resident of Cebu? (If NO, then please skip this survey. If YES, please proceed.) o o Yes No 4. Do you have Internet access at home? (If NO, then please skip this survey. If YES, please proceed.) o o Yes No 61 5. Biological Sex o o Male Female 6. Age _______________________________________ Main Questions 8. What is your current Broadband Internet Service Provider (ISP)? (Check all that may apply) o PLDT (Includes Smart and Sun) o Globe o Converge o Sky Telecom o Other (Please Specify) _______________________ 9. How long have you been with your current Broadband ISP? o Less than one month o Less than one year o 1 to 3 years o 3 to 5 years o More than 5 years (Please specify number of years) __________ 10. What kind of Internet connection do you have at home? (Check all that apply) Note: These all include Wi-Fi with the use of a router. o Dial-up telephone line o DSL enabled phone line o Cable TV modem o Fiber optic (for example, PLDT Fiber or Globe Fiber) o Don’t know 62 o Other (please specify) ___________________________ 11. For what main purposes do you use the internet (Check all that apply) o Online meetings o School tasks/Work tasks o Downloading or Uploading files o Performing synchronous activities o Studying o Viewing Websites o Playing Games or Going on Social Media o Other (Please Specify) 12. How many devices use the internet in your home? o 1 o 2 o 3 o 4 o 5 o 6 o More than 6 (Please Specify how many) ___________ 13. What is your current Internet bandwidth or connection speed in Mbps? (Please use the attached speed test link to get your results, and, if you are willing, please also do 3 attempts) Attempt 1 Download Speed ____________ Upload Speed Ping ____________ ____________ 63 Attempt 2 Download Speed ____________ Upload Speed Ping ____________ ____________ Attempt 3 Download Speed ____________ Upload Speed Ping ____________ ____________ 14. What kind of Device are you using to complete the speed test? o Desktop Computer o Laptop Computer o Smart Phone o Tablet or Ipad o Other (Please Specify) _______________ 15. To the best of your knowledge, how much are you currently paying per month for Internet access? ___________________ 16. What was the advertised Internet speed for the amount you paid? (ex. 1299 for 5 Mbps) ____________________ 17. Are you acquiring any extra internet service bundles from your ISP, please specify? (ex. Internet service + landline + cable) _____________________ 18. Overall, do you feel that your service plan is value for your money? 64 o Yes o No o Slightly 19. Please rate your current Internet service on Speed of Connection (bandwidth)? □ Very Adequate – meets all our needs □ Adequate – Mostly meets our needs □ Inadequate - rarely meet our needs □ Very Inadequate – does not meet our needs 20. Please rate your current Internet service on Customer Service and support? □ Very Adequate – meets all our needs □ Adequate – Mostly meets our needs □ Inadequate - rarely meet our needs □ Very Inadequate – does not meet our needs 21. How would you describe the consistency of your connection speed most of the time? □ The connection is very stable with no single disconnection □ The connection sometimes disconnects itself □ The connection is very unstable and disconnects itself frequently 22. How would you describe your overall satisfaction with your current Internet service? □ Very satisfied □ Somewhat Satisfied □Satisfied □Somewhat dissatisfied □ Very Dissatisfied 23. What are your reasons for any dissatisfaction with your current Internet service? □ Price too high □ Connection too slow/not enough bandwidth □ Frequent Disconnections □ Incorrect Billing (i.e., unusually high fees) 65 □ Lack of technical support □ Other (Please Specify □ Poor customer service 24. If another more affordable, higher-speed Internet service were available to you, how likely would you be to switch your current ISP? □ Very likely □ Somewhat likely □ Not likely 66 Appendix B – Curriculum Vitae Paul Thomas M. Abellana Purok Tambis, Brgy. Vito, Minglanilla, Cebu paulmabellana@gmail.com I. Personal Information Place of Birth: Cebu City Date of Birth: November 6, 2003 Civil Status: Single Citizenship: Filipino Parents: Faith M. Abellana Ian Paul A. Abellana II. Educational Background: Senior High School Cebu Institute of Technology-University N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City 2020-2022 Junior High School Sage Prep Schoolhouse Salinas Drive, Nivel Hills, Brgy. Lahug, Cebu City 2016-2020 Elementary Lahug Elementary School Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City 2013-2016 67 Southern Bethany Christian School Cebu South Road Upper, Minglanilla, Cebu 2010-2013 III. Seminars 2016 On-the-Job-Training (OJT) for Hotel Operations at Verbena Hotel 2017 “Laser Cutting Puzzles” at Fablab UP Cebu 2022 Online Intellectual Property Rights Seminar at Cebu Institute of Technology University IV. Special Awards With High Honors Sage Prep Schoolhouse 2016-2020 With High Honors Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2020-2021 68 Christian Barry R. Alico Tres de Abril St., Punta Princesa, Cebu City christianbarryalico@gmail.com I. Personal Information Place of Birth: Cebu City Date of Birth: October 19, 2003 Civil Status: Single Citizenship: Filipino Parents: Hazel R. Alico Glenn B. Alico II. Background Senior High School Cebu Institute of Technology-University N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City 2020-2022 Junior High School Cebu Institute of Technology-University N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City 2016-2020 Elementary Little Angels Montessori School Tres de Abril St., Punta Princesa, Cebu City 2010-2016 69 III. Seminars 2022 Webinar on “Intellectual Property Rights: A World IP Day Special” at Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2021 Webinar on “Intellectual Property Rights and Basic Research Ethics” at Cebu Institute of Technology - University IV. Special Awards With Honors Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2016-2020 CESAFI Robotics Competition Cebu Institute of Technology – University 2020 70 John Michael N. Borromeo Purok centro 2, Langtad, City of Naga, Cebu johnmichaelborromeoo@gmail.com I. Personal Information Place of Birth: Cebu City Date of Birth: May 17, 2003 Civil Status: Single Citizenship: Filipino, Bisaya, Bisdak, Gwapo Parents: Silvano L. Borromeo Mildred N. Borromeo II. Background: Senior High School Cebu Institute of Technology-University N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City 2020-2022 Junior High School Exceed Learning Center South Poblacion, City of Naga, Cebu 2016-2020 Elementary Exceed Learning Center South Poblacion, City of Naga, Cebu 2010-2016 71 III. Seminars 2022 Webinar on “Intellectual Property Rights: A World IP Day Special” at Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2021 Webinar on “Intellectual Property Rights and Basic Research Ethics” at Cebu Institute of Technology - University IV. Special Awards With Honors Exceed Learning Center 2012 – 2020 Loyalty Awardee Exceed Learning Center 2012 - 2020 72 Francis Benedict Y. Chavez Dapdap St., Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City paulmabellana@gmail.com I. Personal Information Place of Birth: Cebu City Date of Birth: December 7, 2003 Civil Status: Single, self-love Citizenship: Filipino Parents: Meljane Y. Chavez Rutchel M. Chavez II. Educational Background: Senior High School Cebu Institute of Technology-University N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City 2020-2022 Junior High School Cebu Institute of Technology-University N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City 2016-2020 Elementary Mambaling Elementary School N. Bacalso Ave., Mambaling, Cebu City 2010-2016 73 III. Seminars 2022 Webinar on “Intellectual Property Rights: A World IP Day Special” at Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2021 Webinar on “Intellectual Property Rights and Basic Research Ethics” at Cebu Institute of Technology – University IV. Special Awards With High Honors Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2020-2022 With High Honors Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2016-2020 Young Minds Academy Scholar RAFI-EADSC 2016 74 Charles Luis G. Gaid Agila St., Kalunasan, Cebu City charlesluisgaid@gmail.com I. Personal Information Place of Birth: Cebu City Date of Birth: July 5, 2003 Civil Status: Single Citizenship: Filipino Parents: Luiggi M. Gaid Christie G. Gaid II. Educational Background: Senior High School Cebu Institute of Technology-University N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City 2020-2022 Junior High School Child Learning Foundation Inc. 2nd St., Happy Valley Rd., V. Rama Ave., Cebu City 2016-2020 Elementary Child Learning Foundation Inc. 2nd St., Happy Valley Rd., V. Rama Ave., Cebu City 2010-2016 75 III. Seminars 2022 Webinar on “Intellectual Property Rights: A World IP Day Special” at Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2021 Webinar on “Intellectual Property Rights and Basic Research Ethics” at Cebu Institute of Technology – University IV. Special Awards With High Honors Child Learning Foundation Inc. 2010-2020 Valedictorian Award Child Learning Foundation Inc. 2020 1st Place Science Fair Award Child Learning Foundation Inc. 2019 With Honors Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2020-2022 76 Perez, Jose Ely P. Purok four, Poblacion, Alcantara, Cebu je206800@gmail.com I. Personal information Place of Birth: Perpetual Succour hospital, Cebu city Date of Birth: November 18, 2003 Civil Status: Single Citizenship: Filipino Parents: Ely P. Perez Rosalinda P. Perez II. Educational Background: Senior High School Cebu Institute of Technology-University N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City 2020-2022 Junior High School Our Lady of Mount Carmel Learning Center Inc. Tunga, Moalboal, Cebu 2016-2020 Elementary 77 Our Lady of Mount Carmel Learning Center Inc. Tunga, Moalboal, Cebu 2012-2016 III. Seminars 2017 “Photoshop Online workshop” at OLMCLC 2022 Online Intellectual Property Rights Seminar at Cebu Institute of Technology University IV. Special Awards With Honors Our Lady of Mount Carmel Learning Center Inc. Tunga, Moalboal, Cebu 2017-2020 Loyalty Award Our Lady of Mount Carmel Learning Center Inc. Tunga, Moalboal, Cebu 2012-2022 78 Tolentino, Tristan James Y. Tubod, Valladolid, Carcar City, Cebu tristanjamestolentino56@gmail.com I. Personal Information Place of Birth: Cebu City Date of Birth: September 22, 2003 Civil Status: Single Citizenship: Filipino Parents: Grace Y. Tolentino Eduardo Z. Tolentino II. Educational Background: Senior High School Cebu Institute of Technology-University N. Bacalso Ave., Cebu City 2020-2022 Junior High School Saint Catherine’s College Poblacion 1, Carcar City, Cebu, 6019. 2016-2020 Elementary Saint Catherine’s College Poblacion 1, Carcar City, Cebu, 6019. 2014-2016 79 Millennium Star International School Ibn Al Rumi Street Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 11461 2010-2014 III. Seminars 2015 “Journalism Workshop” at Saint Catherine’s College 2020 “Theater Workshop” at Saint Catherine’s College 2021 Webinar on “Intellectual Property Rights and Basic Research Ethics” at Cebu Institute of Technology - University 2022 Online Intellectual Property Rights Seminar at Cebu Institute of Technology - University IV. Special Awards Best in Stinger DSPC Carcar City 2015-2016 3 placer best in Stinger rd DSPC Carcar Ciy 2019-2020 With High Honors Saint Catherine’s College 2016-2020 With Honors Cebu Institute of Technology-University 2020-2022 80 Appendix C – Turnitin Certification 81