The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it will double its efforts to accelerate the implementation of its flagship connectivity projects.
The agency issued statement after Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. underscored the government’s accomplishments regarding connectivity, particularly wireless satellite broadband technology, during his 2nd State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 24.
Marcos Jr. promised more improvements in terms of connectivity, stating that the National Fiber Backbone and Broadband ng Masa projects of the DICT will deliver high-connectivity and high-speed Internet.
“There will be more improvements, as our Internet infrastructure undergoes further upgrades. Early this year, Starlink went live in the Philippines, now providing high-speed satellite broadband connectivity. Our National Fiber Backbone and Broadband ng Masa projects will also deliver high-connectivity and high-speed internet. We are prioritizing geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas,” Marcos Jr. said in his SONA.
On its part, the DICT vowed to intensity its efforts to bring reliable broadband connectivity across the archipelago.
“We will ramp up efforts in achieving the targets of our flagship connectivity programs so we can reach all Filipinos, especially those in the farthest and most remote islands of this great nation,” DICT secretary Ivan John E. Uy said.
Last April, the DICT facilitated the initial 100 Gbps link-up between Los Angeles, California and the cable landing stations in Baler, Aurora and San Fernando, La Union as part of the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure (LBI).
The LBI, a collaboration between the DICT, Meta (Facebook), and Bases Conversion and Development Authority, aims to provide high-speed Internet connectivity to Northern Luzon and Metro Manila through the National Fiber Backbone Phase 1.
The DICT said it has linked the remote island of Sacol in Zamboanga to the Internet for the first time in October 2022.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations’ specialized organization for ICT, recognized this initiative of the agency and chose Sacol Island as one of its ITU Smart Island Project recipients.
The ITU Smart Island Project aims to improve the health, education, agriculture, sustainability, environmental awareness, and commercial and financial literacy of the island stakeholders through access to telemedicine, open and distance trainings, and broadband connectivity.
