The Office of the Ombudsman said Friday that it uncovered an anomalous scheme involving network providers that entered into contracts with the government, which it labeled “ghost internet.”

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano explained that, as with infrastructure projects, some contractors provided substandard equipment that did not meet the government’s specific requirements.

He noted that because the agency procuring the service did not properly check the equipment, some providers “install cheaper, outdated, or even fake software while still charging the government full price for the real thing.”

“Because nobody verifies the software after the hardware is approved, the overpricing goes undetected. It only comes out when the system breaks down or when someone digs deeply enough to find it,” Clavano said.

DICT under probe

The official said the investigations would mainly focus on the Department of Information and Communications Technology and would look to identify gaps in services and payments to network providers nationwide.

Citing an example, Clavano pointed to “free wifi” that was provided within the buildings of government agencies that often fail to work.