DICT connects over 4,000 areas in 2022
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A total of 4,757 live sites were activated in the Philippines this year, in addition to 606 cities and municipalities which have undergone digitalization, according to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
In its year-end report, the DICT said that their Broadband ng Masa (BBM), Free Wi-Fi for All programs, and the current administration’s push for digitalization helped widen internet connectivity for other sites across the country.
Meanwhile, the DICT reported that they have carried out and led several events to promote more investments in the country. This includes the Digital Startup Development and Acceleration Program (DSDAP), the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) ICT cluster for the year 2022-2025, and the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with Singapore’s ministry of communications and information.
The DICT’s report also highlighted the launch of the e-Gov Super App to improve bureaucratic efficiency in the country and the passage of the SIM Card Registration Act to ensure social protection for mobile users.
For 2023, DICT plans to complete the Broadband ng Masa’s Luzon Bypass Infrastructure (LBI) Phase 1 in the first half of 2023, launch more than 15,000 free Wi-Fi sites, and improve satellite connectivity with Starlink and Satellite Systems Providers and/or Operators (SSPOs).
To promote investments, the department’s Digital Cities Program will set up Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) locations in 31 cities by 2025 to generate jobs in the countryside.
The DICT will also push for the development and implementation of interagency initiatives, play a significant part in the implementation of the SIM Card Registration Law and develop the National Cybersecurity Plan for 2023.
