Cebu prioritized for free WiFi

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2015/06/03/migrant-workers-day-set-june-7-411186
• Wednesday, June 3, 2015

By Jeandie O. Galolo

MORE than 7,000 access points across the Philippines will benefit from the government’s P1.4 billion free WiFi project and Cebu has been identified as the top priority area in the Visayas.

“This July, Free Wi-Fi will actually be piloted in areas in Cebu, along with areas in Metro Manila and Davao City,” said Monchito Ibrahim, Deputy Executive Director of the Department of Science and Technology Information and Communications Technolocy Office, who was in Cebu yesterday for the Cebu ICT-BPM Conference held at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.

The rollout of free Wi-Fi in Cebu is ahead of the rollout schedule which, according to the project’s timeline, is eyed to commence towards the end of the year.

“This (three-year) government initiative will prioritize class 3 to 6 municipalities…Through this project, Filipinos in rural areas who were once off-the-grid will have the opportunity to access the Internet and the endless possibilities that connectivity can offer,” Ibrahim said.

Access points

Areas in Cebu that will first have access to the free Wi-Fi, however, were not specified.

The average Internet speed is 256 kbps at 200,000 concurrent users. This will be accessed in public areas like plazas, parks, libraries, schools, seaports, and government offices among many others.

Ibrahim said that while the Philippines is “envied” by its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia in terms of the developments in its ICT-BPM industry, “the right ecosystem” needs to be developed and improved.

“Research shows that only about half of our population has access to the Internet,” the official said.

Ibrahim mentioned the country’s lack of infrastructure, referring to the state of Internet connectivity in the rural areas, which incapacitates some portions of the population from the benefits of the digital economy.

In 2014 alone, Ibrahim said the ICT-BPM industry in the Philippines recorded a revenue of $18.4 billion, as participated by more than one million Filipinos in the labor force working in the industry. Around 100,000 of them work in Cebu.

He said that if more Filipinos will have access to the Internet and are given a chance to participate in the digital economy, this will further spur the economic growth the country is experiencing.

“World Bank has reported that for every 10 percent surge in national broadband connectivity, the gross domestic product takes a 1.38 percent boost. By empowering Filipinos from Luzon to Mindanao through free and stable Internet connectivity, we are optimistic that this shall translate to a more robust and dynamic economy,” Ibrahim said.

The Free Wi-Fi project will also help cultivate the rural impact sourcing scheme, an initiative of the agency that promotes online jobs as a viable economic opportunity for rural communities.

Resources

In addition, free Wi-Fi is expected to improve government service, as this will provide ease of access to e-Government services.

At present, Ibrahim said DOST-ICTO is still bidding out the project to telco providers and cable TV operators. Instead of the government putting up its own towers as Wi-Fi sources, DOST-ICTO will tap the resources of the telco providers and other players.

In the next years, the government aims to get 99 percent national connectivity.