DICT Secretary leads expansion of digital infra project in Mindanao
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) —This is Bagong Pilipinas, a Philippines that is smarter, kinder, more efficient and more connected.
This is the statement of Department of Information
and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry R. Aguda, affirming the
government’s commitment to digital equity and transformation, during his
visit in Butuan City on August 11 for the kick-off of the National Fiber
Backbone Phases 4 and 5.
The activity sustained the implementation of the
National Broadband Program (NBP) under the Philippine Digital Infrastructure
Project (PDIP), a flagship initiative of DICT which aims to establish a secure
and robust nationwide fiber optic network that will serve as the backbone of
the country’s digital infrastructure.
“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has given the order to DICT to make the internet inclusive in the country,” the secretary said. “Let’s ensure that no student is left behind, no small business is left offline and no senior citizen is shut out from digital services. When we connect communities, investors will follow and jobs will come.”
National Fiber Backbone
According to DICT Caraga, the National Broadband Program is designed to close the digital divide and elevate the Filipinos’ living standards by deploying broadband connectivity, through fiber optic cables and wireless technologies, across the country. This will build a shared infrastructure to realize fast, affordable and reliable internet connectivity so that every Filipino can thrive in the digital economy.
One of its components is the National Fiber
Backbone which allows DICT to develop a demand- responsive and neutral
fiber backbone by using the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’s
(NGCP) dark fiber and commission the laying-out of fiber optic cables (FOC)
along Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. This project makes internet readily
available in identified nodes where government entities or DICT’s other
last-mile projects may tap into the convergence points or the points of
presence (PoPs).
Streamlined through phases, it aims to enhance
public broadband connectivity, strengthen climate and network resiliency and
provide last-mile access to unserved rural communities and geographically isolated
and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).
On April 19, 2024, DICT launched the Phase 1 of the
National Fiber Backbone in Pasay City, activating the 28 nodes from Laoag,
Ilocos Norte to Roces, Quezon City.
Personally switched on by Pres. Marcos Jr., Phases
2 and 3 were activated on July 7 of this year in Palo, Leyte, expanding its
network reach by connecting the Cagayan region to Northern Mindanao.
Under Phases 4 and 5, these covered from Region 6
(Western Visayas) to Region 13 (Caraga), activating additional dark fibers of
the NGCP, and extending connectivity from the Visayas to Mindanao, targeting to
connect 772 previously unserved public beneficiaries and narrowing the digital
divide in Mindanao, especially in Caraga region.
The remaining places in Luzon and Mindanao will be
covered in the National Fiber Backbone Phase 6. This will provide internet
connectivity to regions II and 9.
The National Broadband Program also has other
ongoing components such as cable landing stations, accelerated tower build,
accelerated fiber build and satellite overlay.
Meanwhile, Butuan City Vice Mayor Renante B.
Desiata extended the city’s gratitude to the DICT for bringing the project to
Butuan. He recognized the importance of the project as a pivotal step in
enhancing the digital infrastructure which aligns with the city’s goal of
becoming a regional hub for connectivity, reaching even the most remote
barangay.
“Not all areas in the city have equal access to opportunities. Limited connectivity remains a concern for Butuanons,” he said. “We look forward to the day when every barangay, school, facility, and household will have access to reliable information and connectivity.” (RLE, PIA Caraga)
