The Information and Communications Technology Office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-ICTO) was awarded for Technology Leadership for its TV White Space program at the first-ever FutureGov awards held at the New World Hotel.
ICTO executive director Louis Casambre received the award which was given in recognition of ICTO?s TV White Space (TVWS) Initiative.
TVWS technology intends to provide data connectivity for applications such as rural broadband, environmental sensor networks, telemedicine, educational content delivery, and Government Information Systems.
TVWS refers to the unutilized television frequencies in the VHF and UHF bands. In 2010, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the use of TVWS for data communications.
Any TVWS equipment can deliver up to 6 Mbps of data throughput at a maximum range of 20 kilometers. Its signals can literally pass through several concrete walls as well as thick foliage as well as over water, making it ideal for island nations such as the Philippines.
James Smith, managing editor of FutureGov magazine and chairman of the judging panel, for the FutureGov awards, said, ?Leadership is about setting a path for others to follow — and the FutureGov ‘Technology Leadership Award’ recognizes DOST-ICTO for the scope and underlying vision of the ‘TV White Spaces’ project. We determined this planned project to have the greatest potential transformative impact of any of the projects surveyed.?
Casambre also received the award on behalf of DOST?s Mahar Lagmay and the Nationwide Operational Assesment of Hazards (NOAH) project team for Best Mobile App.
?When it comes to accessing real-time information, there is nothing more ubiquitous than a mobile phone. In the wake of natural calamities, new ways of using mobile devices has paved the way for governments and communities to streamline and improve their search and rescue and disaster prevention efforts. DOST?s mobile app version of project NOAH enables Filipinos to access information relevant to weather conditions and disaster preparedness on the palm of their hands, thereby saving lives and potential economic loss,? Smith said.
Seven other marks of distinction were given various individuals and government agencies for their various E-Government initiatives, namely:
Government Organization of the Year: Department of Budget Management
CIO of the Year: Government Service Insurance System – Juan Evangelista, CTO
Service Innovation: Bureau of Internal Revenue – ?Revenue Administration Reform Project?
E-Government: Philippine Health Insurance Corporation – ?Personally Controlled Health Records?
Information Management: National Mapping Agency – ?Philippine Geoportal?
Information Security: Department of National Defense
Data Centers: Makati City Hall
