The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) announced on Wednesday that it will set up more than 770 free WiFi hotspots in Mindanao soon after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the P16.1-billion Philippine Digital Infrastructure Project (PDIP), which will improve internet access in rural places.

DICT Undersecretary Jeffry Dy said that the PDIP includes setting up 772 free WiFi spots in Mindanao, mostly in Caraga and Davao regions, adding that the free WiFi speeds are expected to be capped at 50 megabytes per second (Mbps) “with room for 200 Mbps.”

He added that the Philippines is set to receive a $288 - million loan from the World Bank to complete the project, aiming to bridge the digital divide and boost the country’s economy.

“The Philippine Digital Infrastructure Project is the largest and actually the first of its kind in the Philippines for a loan for digital infrastructure,” Dy said.

Dy explained that the project will focus on completing the national fiber backbone, with Phase 2 and 3 connecting Metro Manila to Southern Luzon targeted for completion this year.

The loan will also fund the installation of submarine cables across Visayas and Mindanao, along with 772 free WiFi sites concentrated in Mindanao.

“According to our research, for every 10 percent increase in internet penetration rate, it constitutes approximately 1.38 percent increase in our gross domestic product and that is the reason why this project is very important,” Dy said.