INTERNET ISSUES | After COA report, DICT admits challenges in installing free Wi-Fi nationwide

July 22, 2022 , 01:34 PM

By Beatrice Puente

(July 22, 2022) – Providing free internet connection nationwide has not been an easy task due to the long process that comes along with the program, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said on Thursday.

DICT secretary Ivan John Uy said he has started reviewing the report of the Commission on Audit (COA) after it flagged the agency for the “low implementation” of the Free Wi-Fi Program.

“The COA actually flagged this project because of poor implementation and poor utilization of the funding. So, I’m looking at it right now. And there are many areas that need to be addressed,” said Uy on One News’ The Big Story.

State auditors noted that only 2,890 free Wi-Fi sites were working by the end of 2021. The DICT targeted completing 15,169 as it obligated roughly P10.34 billion for the implementation of the said program last year. The COA also stressed that the accomplishment in recent years was very low.

“The department lacks the sustainability measures to ensure continuous operability of the already installed sites,” said the COA in its annual audit report.

In 2017, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act in hopes of making the internet more accessible even in rural communities. The Malacañang said Duterte was unhappy with the performance of the foreign contractor because of the slow rollout.

Duterte also promised to provide free internet access in schools as they became more dependent on the digital sphere during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ang pangako natin, libreng Wi-Fi sa lahat,” said former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in May 2021. “Kailangan double time talaga. Pero sa bilis naman ng galaw ng DICT, we have confidence that we can meet close to the target if not 110,000 sites.”

Uy, who was picked by President Bongbong Marcos Jr. for the post last May, said the program has three different contractors for the equipment, the last-mile connectivity, and the middle-mile connectivity. A lawyer and information technology expert, Uy said the system might not work if a single link fails.

“These three different contractors have to work together and they have to be implemented together for the whole Wi-Fi system to work,” said Uy. “You still won’t have any signals if a segment of the tripartite implementation is missing. And that is seen all over the place.”

Uy, who replaced acting DICT chief Emmanuel Rey Caintic, also lamented the revolving door of leaders in the agency, having four different chiefs in six years.

Still, he remains committed to fulfilling the task of ensuring accessible internet nationwide. He added that the amendment to the Public Service Act could help, citing the entry of Starlink owned by Elon Musk into the country.

“Public utilities are now open for investment. And so we welcome investors to come in and to provide more competition to the industry,” said Uy.

(PM)

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