US grants Philippines PHP23.8m for broadband project

In support of the Philippines’ implementation of a broadband project, the US Embassy has awarded the country’s Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) a PHP23.8m (USD457,000) grant. The signing of the grant was made during a ceremony at the department’s main office in Quezon City on Thursday. The event was graced by Sung Kim, the US Ambassador to the Philippines, and DICT acting secretary Eliseo M. Rio, Jr. Released via the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the grant seeks to finance the technical assistance for the DICT to continue with its plans to give wider broadband access to under-served areas in the Philippines. The DICT will choose advisers from qualified US firms for the project. These advisers will then help the agency in fine-tuning technical and operational designs, as well as in reviewing future market demand.