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The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has set up 1,048 free Wi-Fi access points in public places in Eastern Visayas, prioritizing remote areas. During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on Tuesday, Dante Rosales, chief of the DICT 8 (Eastern Visayas) technical operations division, said the number of sites has quadrupled compared to what was installed until 2023. The expansion of public Internet access program has significantly expanded this year with PHP120 million in funding support from the House of Representatives.
The fund was on top of the allocation from the DICT central office, according to Rosales. “The program had a transformative effect on the unserved and underserved communities in Eastern Visayas. By providing access to education, government services, economic opportunities, health information, and social networks, the program helped close the gap between rural and urban areas, enabling these communities to engage more fully in the digital age,” he told reporters. Of the 1,048 sites covered by the free Wi-Fi project, 245 are in Leyte, 42 in Southern Leyte, 123 in Eastern Samar, 72 in Biliran, 110 in Samar, and 456 in Northern Samar.
The absence of a national broadband in the Visayas prompted the DICT to tap the existing managed Internet services in the region’s provinces. The DICT uses a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) to establish an Internet connection in remote areas. “The coverage is up to 50 meters from the access point. It can support about 50 to 100 devices connected at once,” Rosales added. Launched in 2019, the DICT’s Free Wi-Fi for All – Free Public Internet Access Program aims to accelerate the government’s efforts in enhancing Internet accessibility for Filipinos to strengthen economic, social, and educational opportunities and bridge the digital divide.
