Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Sunday said Filipinos should expect improved Internet services once the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) completes the first phase of its National Broadband Program (NBP).

Angara said that under the P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, Congress increased the DICT’s budget for the NBP from the proposed P902.194-million to P1.9-billion to ensure that even remote and inaccessible areas in the country can have faster Internet connection.
 
“We need to really ramp up our Internet infrastructure. It’s one of the needs of our country,” said Angara, who heads of the Senate Finance Committee.
 
“When you talk about build, build, build, you don’t just look at roads, you don’t just look at buildings, but you also look at the actual Internet infrastructure because that will provide greater investments,” he said.
 
Angara noted there had always been a need for a fast, stable and reliable Internet connection in the country, but the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgency due to the changing public requirements under the new normal.
 
With bigger investments coming into the country, the senator said improving Internet services in the country will translate to more higher paying jobs and more economic activity.
 
According to Angara, the cost of Internet subscriptions for the government alone is costly but with the implementation of the NBP, the DICT promised to bring down the rates significantly.
 
The DICT had earlier said the government will have access to cheaper and more reliable Internet services that would reduce government spending on Internet subscription as soon as the first phase of the NBP is finished.
 
The agency also expects the government to save P720-million in Internet subscription expenses in the first year of implementing the NBP.
 
To ensure free WiFi in public places, Congress increased DICT’s budget by P250-million, bringing up the total to P2.667-billion, in keeping with Republic Act 10929 or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act which mandates the government to provide free Internet access in government offices and public places.
 
Under the national budget, Congress also increased the budget for free WiFi instate, universities and colleges (SUC) to P557.8-million.
 
“With our schools barred from conducting face-to-face teaching, students have been forced to adapt to flexible and distance learning methods,” Angara pointed out.
 
“Expanding the access and reliability of our Internet connections will go a long way in helping our children transition easier, especially for those who cannot afford to pay for their own subscriptions,” the lawmaker stressed.