The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has approved a nationwide user feedback survey that will assess the impact of the Department of Information and Communications Technology's (DICT) Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP), with the study carrying a budget of about P2.1 million.
DICT undersecretary Jeffrey Ian C. Dy said the current approach to the Free Wi-Fi Program requires reevaluation and restructuring, noting that there are cost-effective alternatives than spending approximately P6.5 billion annually to provide Internet access to more than 7,000 locations
The DICT awarded Converge the contract to supply free Wi-Fi connectivity to 36 municipal sites in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte and four municipal sites in La Union.
Starlink, the satellite-based Internet service of SpaceX, will become part of the mix of broadband sources that the government will tap to deliver the free WiFi program to the public.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian urged the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to ensure that it would hit its target in rolling out Internet connection in public places, including educational institutions.
Former DICT undersecretary Eliseo Rio Jr. refuted on Tuesday, June 1, the statement of the DICT claiming that Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) technology provides cheaper and faster Internet to remote areas of the country.
