President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told industry leaders at the Telco Summit 2026 that national progress must be measured by the number of Filipino lives improved through connectivity rather than internet speed alone.

Speaking at the event, the president emphasized that digital access must translate into tangible opportunities for students, workers, and families, particularly those in underserved regions.

“In today’s age, connectivity is a right, a necessity, and a lifeline,” Marcos said.

He reaffirmed his administration’s goal of ensuring every Filipino can access digital services regardless of their location, noting that the true measure of success lies in remote students attending online classes and families accessing health and financial services digitally.

The President cited that while the nation's telecommunications sector is now valued at more than $6 billion, a significant connectivity gap remains between urban centers and rural areas. While 5G networks and fiber optic deployments have expanded in cities, Marcos acknowledged that mountainous regions, coastal communities, and small islands still struggle with unstable signals.

He cited permit delays, right-of-way restrictions, and power interruptions as primary hurdles to national progress.

To address these issues, the administration is leaning on the Konektadong Pinoy Act. The law streamlines infrastructure by removing the requirement for a congressional franchise to construct, install, or operate data transmission networks.

It also mandates infrastructure sharing and co-location among providers to lower costs and reduce service duplication.

Government efforts have already seen the completion of the first three phases of the National Broadband Fiber Backbone Project.

These phases have connected approximately 690 government agencies and served an estimated 17 million citizens.

Additionally, the Free Public Internet Access Program has established more than 9,500 active free Wi-Fi access points in 5,057 public sites nationwide.

To promote digital inclusion, the government also launched the Bayanihan SIM Card Project. This initiative has distributed more than 89,400 subsidized SIM cards with monthly data allocations to public school students, teachers, and indigent communities.

Industry data shows that telecommunications providers are on track to have laid more than 1.8 million cable kilometers nationwide by the third quarter of 2025.

Marcos concluded by calling for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to build a "Bagong Pilipinas," where reliable internet serves as the foundation for economic growth and national unity.