The Philippines now ranks seventh in the GSMA’s Asia Pacific Digital Nation Index, according to a new report Unveiled today at the Digital Nation Summit (DNS) Manila. Recent government allocations of over PHP 72 billion for national broadband, cloud and other transformation projects underscore this progress, while the domestic digital economy already contributes PHP 2.25 trillion, roughly 8.5 per cent of GDP, with e-commerce sales above PHP 500 billion in 2023.
The country now records an aggregate score of 60/100 on the GSMA Intelligence Digital Nations Index, placing it firmly in the cohort of “leading” digital nations. However, the study entitled “Digital Nations 2025: Sustaining Progress in Asia Pacific through Investment” warns that progress could stall unless fresh investment, coherent policy and continued skills development close a widening usage gap. Roughly two in every five Philippine citizens remain offline, and funding shortfalls persist in cyber-security, advanced research and rural connectivity.
The report urges the Philippines to:
- Set clear national digital investment goals
- Align government policies with digitalisation objectives
- Use public investment to stimulate private sector participation
- Avoid regulatory uncertainty
- Address regional disparities and the digital usage gap through collaboration
With 40% of citizens still offline, bridging the usage gap through rural connectivity and digital skills development is essential to ensure no one is left behind.
The report tracks 21 Asia-Pacific countries across the five pillars that define a digital nation (infrastructure, innovation, data governance, security and people) and will be the centrepiece of discussions at DNS Manila.
Julian Gorman, Head of Asia-Pacific, GSMA, said: “The Philippines has taken bold steps to put digital at the heart of its growth strategy, from budgets for broadband to ambitious targets on cloud and skills. Our new research shows those efforts are paying dividends, but it also sets out the hard numbers on where further investment is urgently required. If industry and government can channel investment into 5G, fibre, cloud and cyber-security, while keeping regulation clear and predictable, the country can make the leap from a fast-growing digital economy to a truly inclusive digital nation.”
Wider Report Findings for Asia Pacific
Other key findings from the Asia Pacific Digital Nations report include:
- India and Vietnam have moved up from the “emerging” to the “leading” tier of Digital Nations in the GSMA Intelligence Index, thanks to strong, broad-based gains across all five pillars. Brunei Darussalam, new to this year’s ranking, now tops the list of emerging digital nations.
- A mobile-internet gap remains in remoter parts of APAC. Given vast mountainous, forested and archipelago regions in Asia Pacific – more than 100 million people, around three per cent of the region’s population, still live outside a mobile-broadband footprint, mainly in remote and rural areas where commercial rollouts are not yet viable. Targeted incentives will be needed to extend networks to these communities.
- The 5G rollout is uneven. Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have not yet launched 5G, while adoption has already reached mass-market levels in Australia, Singapore and South Korea. High spectrum prices, hefty upgrade costs and flat revenues are squeezing operators’ ability to invest further.
- Asia Pacific faces an emerging AI infrastructure shortfall. CBRE forecasts a gap of 15-25 GW in data-centre capacity by 2028, equivalent to 25-42 per cent of projected demand, even if current supply were to double. Shortages of data-centre space, power and GPUs could limit the region’s ability to train and deploy advanced AI models.
Digital Nation Summit Manila
Held under the banner ‘Building a Secure Digital Nation: Pathways to Prosperity for the Philippines’, this week’s Digital Nation Summit Manila 2025 convenes government leaders, regulators, industry pioneers and ecosystem partners to accelerate the country’s transition to a resilient, inclusive and future-ready digital economy. Anchored by the official launch of the GSMA Digital Nations APAC Report 2025, the one-day forum explores how strategic investment, collaborative policymaking and people-centred innovation can cement the Philippines’ place in Asia’s digital future.
Summit proceedings open with remarks from Julian Gorman, Head of Asia-Pacific, GSMA, followed by a ministerial keynote from Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda of the Department of Information and Communications Technology. A ‘Digital Leaders Unplugged’ fireside chat and a report-highlight presentation set the scene for a programme built around three themes that mirror the report’s findings:
- Investing in 5G, fibre and cloud infrastructure
- Building trust through robust data-governance and cyber-security frameworks
- Unlocking inclusive growth through skills, fintech and sector-wide innovation
DNS Manila is again timed to coincide with Philippine Fintech Week. Alongside the main summit, the GSMA is hosting an APAC Fintech Forum roundtable on secure, interoperable digital-payment ecosystems and their role in inclusive growth. Outcomes from both gatherings will feed into regional policy debates at M360 Asia-Pacific later in the yea
