DICT urges more digital infrastructure support ahead of SoNA

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to give more emphasis to digital connectivity as the President’s third State of the Nation Address (SoNA) nears.

DICT spokesperson Atty. Renato Paraiso stressed that the agency is firm in its advocacy of developing the country's digital infrastructure and will campaign for more attention to digital infrastructure in the country.

"Well, again, I think with this year's SoNA, what we are really highlighting or asking for support, really is, our infostructures. Strengthening our digital infostructures, connectivity, so that's free wifi, upskilling, and cyber security," Paraiso said.

The average broadband internet speed in the Philippines is currently ranked 41st in the world, according to the Telecom Review and it is still allegedly a big problem because the speed is frequently inconsistent and merely limited.

Data from the DICT showed that 65 percent of the country's population is still not connected to the internet. According to the Statista Research Department, an international research company, 77.81 percent of the Filipino population will only have an internet connection by 2028 in its current phase.

To recall, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) disclosed that the Philippines has the lowest coverage rates of telecom towers in the Southeast Asian region and will need an additional 60,000 towers by 2031 in far-flung areas.

Also, 2021 data from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) showed that there are more than 22,000 cell sites in the country, less than a third of Vietnam's 90,000, and they are shared between three telcos.

The DICT is set to build an additional 10,000 independent common towers to help expand the reach of broadband connections in the country, in addition to the 2,374 towers under its jurisdiction.

In a meeting last April, the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) also recommended to President Marcos the allocation of P608 billion annually to DICT to help build more digital infrastructure and expand internet coverage in the country.

Marcos has been supportive of improving the country's broadband connection and projects to reach around 70 million Filipinos by 2026 under the National Fiber Backbone Project.