Free Wi-Fi initiative seen to bridge “digital divide”

CEBU, Philippines - The government’s plan to provide free Wi-Fi Internet access in select public places across the Philippines will hopefully address the country’s digital divide issue, an official said. 

Engineer Edilberto Paradela, director of the Department of Science and Technology in Central Visayas, said the country is currently experiencing a digital divide wherein not all people have access to the internet because of some reasons.

“Maybe not so aware what the technology is and the costs also,” Paradela said of the factors that cause such social issue. “And this [hopefully] is going to address the digital divide.”

“In addressing this, we can also incorporate the program of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) for development,” the director said in an interview with The Freeman.

The DOST’s ICT Office is allotting P1.408 billion, as approved in the 2015 General Appropriations Act, for the Internet connectivity to be available in social places across the nation. That amount is higher than the originally proposed P339 million in the National Expenditure Program.

The project entitled “Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places” will start to be implemented by July this year in all metropolitan areas. Its completion is set to be done by November 2015. It will be done in three phases.

According to DOST, enhancing Internet accessibility will step up the economic, social and educational opportunities for Filipinos.

If this will be fully realized, information and knowledge access especially in rural towns will eventually be made easy.

Paradela said the class 4, 5 and 6 municipalities are the priority for the free Wi-Fi.

The public free Wi-Fi will be accessible in public places such as public schools, government hospitals, rural health centers, libraries and others.

Because of the budget increase, DOST-ICTO said class 3 municipalities and lower will also be included.

“Sites in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao, as well as other cities that will serve as distribution points or Points of Presence shall also be included,” it said.

Once fully deployed, ICTO said the project will serve around 105,000 concurrent users with 256 kbps each, which is the lowest prevailing speed requirement for broadband service. More details about the project can be accessed on the agency’s website (icto.dost.gov.ph).

With this initiative, the Philippines has to address its slow internet connection problem.

According to cloud services provider Akamai in its State of the Internet 2014 Q2 report, the Philippines has one of the slowest internet speeds in Asia Pacific. It ranked 103rd, having only an average Internet speed of 2.5 Megabits per second. (FREEMAN)