Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday, Dec. 8 said the foray of telecommunications companies into more advanced technologies should end the Filipinos’ long wait for faster, affordable and more reliable internet.

“Our definition of the new normal should include internet access for all,” Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services said that ‘’our people deserve the same quality of connectivity as the rest of the world.’’

Poe said the public expects that relentless upgrade and expansion by telecommunications companies (telcos) would help close the digital divide critical to the nation’s recovery from the pandemic.

She asked government regulators to ensure that developments in digital infrastructure are seamless and would not cause interruption in services.

Telcos should also adhere to their committed completion deadlines. Any shift to new technology as part of their promise for more reliable internet connection should be at no cost to the customers, she stressed.

Poe has also pushed for the rollout of the government’s National Broadband Program, the infrastructure blueprint aimed to make internet connectivity accessible and available.

According to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the completion of the program's Phase 1 by February 2022 would increase internet speed to 200 megabits per second (mbps) for state agencies and departments.

“The inevitability of online classes, work-from-home arrangements and business transactions during this pandemic has made the internet service an essential for everybody,” she said.

“Our people look forward to the day when they can really partake of the gains of a true digital transformation,” Poe added.

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