BATASAN HILLS, Quezon City — In support of the government’s advocacy for digitalization, Congress has directed the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to install a minimum of 50,000 password-free Wi-Fi hotspots to boost internet connectivity and drive economic growth in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) throughout the country.

According to Makati City representative Luis Campos Jr., vice chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, disclosed that at least 50,000 Wi-Fi hotspots is needed for the public to gain free access to the internet, which means the DICT must put up 36,538 new hotspots on top of the 13,462 already built as of June 2024.

Campos clarified that money will not a problem to achieve this because the Free Internet Access in Public Places Law provides dedicated and sustained funding from the spectrum user fees collected by the government every year from private telecommunications companies (telcos).

In February, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released ₱2.45 billion for the Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP) and just last month, another ₱3.68 billion was appropriated for the implementation of the program.

In addition, the Makati solon noted that members of the House committee on appropriations has expressed their desire for the DBM to release additional money for the FPIAP even as the DICT reported the utilization of at least 70 percent of program funds to either pay for subscriptions or the installation of additional hotspots.

At present, the DICT is spending around ₱500 million every month to pay for the subscription fees for the 13,462 hotspots that already have more than 10 million unique users.

The law mandates password-free internet access points in public parks, plazas, libraries, barangay halls, public schools, state universities and colleges, public hospitals, rural health units, public airports and seaports, and public transport terminals, among other sites.

Campos pointed out that “a highly improved internet connectivity would help drive economic growth, citing that studies have shown a 10 percent increase in the country’s internet penetration rate have been generating up to ₱342 billion in new economic benefits.

Meanwhile, under House Bill No. 10215, which seeks to reclassify internet connection as a basic telecommunications service to which every Filipino enjoys a right of access, rather than a value-added service, reclassification measures would empower the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to impose rising minimum mobile internet speed targets that telcos must hit within prescribed deadlines.

Campos, who authored the bill, warned that telcos who fail to reach the target speeds would be subjected to harsh regulatory fines of up to ₱1 million per day, or ₱365 million per year, until they achieve compliance.

Based on global network intelligence leader Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index, the Philippines’ mobile internet speed average only 33.18 Mbps in July, way below Singapore’s 108.73 Mbps, Malaysia’s 104.80 Mbps, Vietnam’s 55.41 Mbps and Thailand’s 53.95 Mbps.