PHL broadband plan for Duterte's signature by Jan. 2017, says DICT

The Philippines will have a National Broadband Plan (NBP) by January next year that will cost between P77 billion and P200 billion to execute, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said Thursday.

The plan primarily consists of setting up an infrastructure, north to south, for the purpose of serving the needs of both the people and the government in the countryside, Information and Communications Secretary Rodolfo Salalima told reporters on the sidelines of the DICT Summit in Quezon City.

Salima noted the target is to submit the NBP to Malacañang and have it initialled by President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Hopefully, we can submit it to the President by the first part of January, kasi pinapa-fast track ko na 'yung detalye," Salalima said.

During his first State of the Nation Address in July, Duterte ordered the newly-formed DICT to come up with a plan on how to improve the internet service in the country.

In line with what has been agreed upon during previous consultations with other Cabinet officials, Salima noted the decision is to go for north-to-south infrastructure development.

"Ito 'yung sinasabi natin na: We put up the infrastructure from north to south, but the priority of the infrastructure is to serve government and people in the countryside na hindi naaabot ng telco service providers," the DICT chief noted.

The option includes using 5,000 to 10,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines "running from north to south" to make easier for the government to implement the NBP.

"Now, because we have agreed with what option to use, we will put up the details of the specific costs so that once we are done with finalizing the plan, we will refer it back to the President – for the President to declare it as approved," Salalima said.

Once the President has given the NBP the thumbs up, "then we will slowly implement," he added.

It will basically take the government two to three years to implement the plan. — VS, GMA News