The Philippines is on track to see a major advancement in information and communications technology (ICT) services by next year as the government’s Vision 2020 looks to bear fruit.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the agency responsible for ICT services in the Philippines, has pledged to bring change to the country’s ICT landscape this year, under its short-term Vision 2020.
The department is optimistic about fulfilling its commitment to bring positive change in the country’s information and communications technology (ICT) landscape starting this year.
The DICT Undersecretary for Operations stated that the agency is now looking at its Vision 2020. By the end of the year 2020, citizens will experience a big improvement in governmental ICT services.
The country can expect a more competitive telecommunication environment with the entry of a new major player which will commercially operational sometime in 2020.
The entry of the new player would result in improved quality of service, faster and less expensive internet connectivity.
The agency now has a third telco that will start commercial operation around mid-2020.
A consortium composed various tech and finance firms has committed to cover 37% of the population and provide 27 Mbps minimum average internet speed in year one of its five-year commitment periods.
The government is also looking to the construction of an ultra-high-speed information highway to improve speed, affordability and accessibility of broadband internet throughout the country by next year.
The country is ranked the lowest in terms of tower density in Asia, considering its land area and population. It has a tower density of about 16,300 towers servicing about 113 million subscribers.
The Philippines is among the slowest countries in the region as far as internet speed is concerned.
The DICT in 2017 signed a landing party agreement with the world’s biggest social media platform to improve speed and accessibility, as well as reduce the cost of broadband internet in the country.
For the first time, the government will have two cable landing stations for its International Gateway Facility, where the social media firm will remunerate us with 2Tbps internet bandwidth capacity, worth around P4.2 billion annually, for use in our Free WiFi and the National Broadbands Programs.
Investments in the country’s ICT sector are also continuing to surge to levels never before seen. These investments are essential to improve the country’s telecommunications services and internet connectivity.
The ICT sector, for the first time in Philippine history, contributed the biggest investment in the first nine months of 2019 of around P340 billion, more than all other sectors combined as per the BOI.
The DICT is determined to have more secure cyberspace and a data privacy protection regime that is compliant with international standards and ensures the free flow of information.
In addition, the agency is committing a modernized regulatory and policy regime that would result in a more equitable allocation spectrum, universal access, and infrastructure sharing.
Around 10,000 more access points nationwide, specifically in underserved and unserved areas, will likewise be constructed this year for the “Free Wi-Fi for All” program.
It was noted that the DICT Vision 2020 is for the Filipino to experience truly improved ICT services before the end of the year 2020.
