DICT says two more years needed to provide free Wi-Fi to all barangays, elementary schools

It may take the government two more years to provide free Wi-Fi connections to barangays and elementary schools across the nation, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said Tuesday.

During a congressional hearing, DICT Undersecretary for Digital Philippines Emmanuel Rey Caintic was asked how long it would take for the free public Wi-Fi to completely cover public schools.

"Right now we are including it in our 2022 budget, pero ang estimate ko sir another two years po 'yan of rollout to cover all of 43,000 barangays and elementary schools," he said.

For 2021, the DICT earmarked P7.7 billion for the implementation of the free Wi-Fi for all in public places and state universities and colleges (SUCs).

The department plans to deploy the most number of sites in public institutions— 10,300 sites in public schools and 1,804 sites in SUCs and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) institutions.

As of May 5 this year, the DICT said there are 8,924 sites installed across the country after doubling the number of sites for the program in 2020.

The DICT in January 2018 said it plans to put up 250,000 Wi-Fi access points across the country before 2022, when the six-year term of President Rodrigo Duterte ends.

Duterte in August 2017 signed Republic Act 10929, also known as the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act. This mandates the government to provide free internet access in public spaces across the country.

"We are aiming to provide every public school and SUC with free Internet connectivity and access to aid our students and teachers adapt to the new normal in the education sector," Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said earlier.—AOL, GMA News