SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has advocated for the inclusion of public schools in the government’s free Wi-Fi program, aiming for a more efficient rollout and ensuring internet connectivity in public spaces nationwide.
During the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and attached agencies’ budget briefing, Gatchalian questioned the program’s implementation progress. While the initial target was to install free Wi-Fi in 125,000 public places, only 6,700 locations with approximately 13,000 access points have been covered to date.
DICT Undersecretary Jeffrey Ian Dy explained that the sustainability of providing free Wi-Fi in 125,000 locations through subscriptions would require P58 billion annually. The DICT is exploring more cost-effective solutions and potential collaborations with telecommunication companies to identify sites for new cell towers, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).
To incentivize cell tower construction in these areas, the government plans to subsidize commercial losses by covering subscription fees, helping telecommunication companies recoup their costs. This could involve distributing subsidized SIM cards and mobile phone load for up to two years. The DICT estimates that P5 billion is needed for the first phase of its free Wi-Fi rollout, which will also target public schools and 300 barangays in GIDAs. However, this budgetary requirement was not included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted to Congress before negotiations began.
Gatchalian expressed support for the DICT’s proposal but requested further details, including timelines and specific targets.
