The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading a bill requiring public and private higher education institutions to provide students and faculty with free access to digital academic materials and campus-wide high-speed Wi-Fi.
According to the DICT, the Pasig Mega Market is the first public market in the city equipped with its Free Public Wi-Fi service under the Paleng-QR Ph Plus initiative. The agency installed one Starlink satellite Internet unit and four wireless access points at the market.
Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has completed fiber-powering the country’s main gateway, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), as it deployed free public WiFi at NAIA Terminal 1 and 2.
Despite the approval of the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, only 945 public basic education schools or about two percent of public schools nationwide have free public Wi-Fi as of January 29, 2022. Meanwhile, there are at least only 10 reputable higher education institutions offering distance education despite the passage of the Open Distance Learning Act.
To ensure that Filipinos have access to accurate and up-to-date information in the midst of the Covid-19 community quarantine, wireless operators Smart Communications and Globe Telecom have deployed free WiFi connectivity in hospitals and transport hubs.
