President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has instructed the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to focus on enhancing connectivity in remote and isolated areas across the Philippines.
During a meeting on the National Digital Connectivity Plan (NDCP) 2024-2028, Marcos emphasized the importance of establishing connectivity before other initiatives and suggested rolling out free WiFi in government facilities to create demand for telecommunications services.
He also proposed including WiFi allowances in government budgets once the infrastructure is in place.
The recently approved USD288 million Philippine Digital Infrastructure Project aims to complete the national fiber backbone and extend high-speed internet to underserved areas.
Currently, there are 13,462 free WiFi sites benefiting nearly 10 million Filipinos under the DICT’s Free Public Internet program.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 10, 2024
