NGCP says it supports govt's nat'l broadband plan

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), operator of the power transmission grid, on Wednesday said it supports to government's national broadband plan.

In a statement, the company said it has been in close coordination with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Energy (DOE) for "a possible partnership to bring high-speed internet nationwide."

Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the creation of a national broadband plan emphasizing the need for faster communications.

In October 2016, ICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima submitted three options to the Office of the President on implementing a national broadband program. One of the options included installing a national broadband network from scratch, which could cost the government P77 billion to P200 billion.

The option includes using 5,000 to 10,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables of the NGCP – "running from north to south" – to make it easier for the government to implement the plan.

“Talks began even in the past administration. As early as 2012, we were already exploring the broadband potential of our facilities with the Department of Science and Technology, which was the lead agency for the project at that time. Under the current administration, talks have been ongoing for the past six months," NGCP President and CEO Henry Sy Jr. said.

"We’ve given the DICT and DOE all the information they need to put this project forward. We’ve informed them that the current transmission facility will be able to support the broadband network envisioned by the government," Sy said.

The NGCP's wide fiber optic network and related resources are sufficient to support the priority program of the administration, Sy noted.

"We are just waiting for details from our government partners,” he added.

As the country’s sole power transmission operator, it has thousands of existing fiber optic facilities that run from Luzon to Mindanao, mainly for internal communications, the NGCP said.

It is ready to lease the fiber optic lines to be used by the government in upgrading the country’s internet speed and shorten the amount of time needed to complete the project.

“NGCP fully supports the government’s efforts in creating a national broadband plan for the Philippines. We look forward to seeing DICT’s plans come to fruition as having a stable internet connection is now a very important productivity tool, and keeps the whole country connected,” the company said. — Ted Cordero/VDS,GMA News