My internet is slower than what I pay for — what are my rights?
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
You are entitled to the minimum broadband speed and service reliability your provider advertised and sold you. Under NTC Memorandum Order No. 07-07-2011 (Minimum Speed of Broadband Connections), providers must specify the minimum broadband speed and service reliability in their plans and advertisements and actually deliver them — the order set a minimum service-reliability standard (commonly cited as 80% of the advertised speed) built on the ITU's 256 kbps definition of broadband. Because the NTC has updated its speed rules over the years, confirm the exact current figure against the latest NTC issuance rather than an old number. If your actual speed falls short, document it with dated speed tests, demand that your provider fix it or adjust your bill, and if unresolved file a complaint with the NTC, which regulates telecom and internet service quality under Executive Order No. 546.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
How do I prove my internet is too slow?
Run repeated speed tests at different times of day and screenshot each with the date, time, and result, then compare them against the minimum speed and reliability stated in your plan or the provider's advertisement. NTC MO 07-07-2011 requires providers to disclose that minimum, so the gap between what was promised and what you measured is your core evidence.
Can I stop paying if my internet is always slow?
Withholding payment can expose you to disconnection and penalties, so it is safer to keep paying the undisputed amount while you formally dispute the shortfall in writing. Ask for a bill adjustment or rebate for the affected period, and escalate to the NTC if the provider refuses.
Is there a guaranteed minimum internet speed by law?
The NTC requires providers to declare and deliver a minimum broadband speed and service reliability, but the specific figure has changed across NTC issuances over the years. Rely on the minimum stated in your own plan and advertisement, and confirm the prevailing regulatory minimum against the latest NTC circular rather than an older number.
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Your rights on mobile, internet, electricity, and water — slow or undelivered broadband and rebates (NTC), billing disputes and overcharges, the notice required before disconnection and the days you cannot be cut off, prepaid load validity, SIM deactivation under the SIM Registration Act, electricity bill-deposit refunds and meter errors (the ERC Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers), and how to escalate past your provider to the NTC, ERC, or MWSS.