The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is planning to rollout its free public WiFi internet access project across the Philippines beginning July of this year.
The “Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places” project of the DOST’s Information and Communications Technology Office (ICT Office), aims to provide free WiFi internet access in select public spaces in the country:
Once fully deployed, the Project will serve 105,000 concurrent users with an average speed of 256 kbps each. It will be subjected to data volume based Fair Usage Policy to promote an equitable distribution of the public service.
The “Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places” project has a budget of Php1.408 billion which was authorized in the 2015 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
via: GMA Network
source: DOST ICT
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Louis says:
Ang daming mas importanteng dapat gawin eto pa talaga ang uunahin. Ngayon I’ve just watched the news about those families in Mindanao that only rely on farming, they are starving because of the long period of drought they experienced. They should deprioritize this.
And 256Kbps of allocated speed/user is extremely slow with Fair Use Policy.
GrenadeSpamr says:
Sabayan niyo ng Facebook Lite, mabilis
Wifi Philippines says:
Aba, tingnan na lang natin kung magkakatotoo nga.
leypascua says:
We don’t need free WiFi. We need more ISPs to encourage competition and improve the quality of service. Once there are enough ISPs prices will go down and the masses can afford to be connected with a decent bandwidth.
DOST should really think about build our own Internet superhighway and force telcos to share pipes to 3rd party providers instead.
TM says:
more wifi = more cellphones = less bees = 30% less pollination = 30% less fruits/vegetables = 30% less food = more importation = less local work/business = less income
junjun says:
Wow. Ganyan na pala ka-pessimistic ang mga pinoy. Andami namang ang gagaling magcomment. Pumasok nga kayo sa gobyerno.
Kung taga DOST ako at naexcite ako na mag-implement ng ganitong idea, tapos ito mga comment na makikita ko, aba magkurakot na lang din ako. Ganun din naman pala e. Damned if you do damned if you don’t.
Jan says:
sana yung Philippine Internet Highway ang ayusin nila, we should have our own… Nang hindi na dadaan ang connection natin sa singapore or other neighboring countries… If that is developed then bibilis and mag mumura ang connection…
justify says:
1.4billion for 105,000 users? 13k per user for 256kbps yeah!!!!!
Dad says:
@justify, it says Project will serve 105,000 CONCURRENT USERS with an average speed of 256 kbps each, but it doesn’t mean that it will only serve 105,000 users. Please think first before you make a comment.
bibbo says:
I believe binibid-out to to existing telcos / ISP as a managed service
meow says:
hey everyone look! another way our government could sneak us on and sell our information to brokers for more and more money!!!!
JAMES says:
YES THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT ABOVE ANY BASIC NEEDS!
– But wait Fair Usage? like how many MB you are allotted to? Then they will subscribe to Globe New DSL Lines with 10GB/mo capping? LOL
The idea itself is a AWESOME move knowing that:
1. Public plazas – beggars and street children suffering from malnutrition and starvation (even those that are located near Municipal/City Halls)
2. Public Schools (Elem & HS) – no, not yet the lack of classrooms, just think of chairs/arm chairs. Who are the primary users for these? Students? Really?
3. PUBLIC LIBRARIES – well I AGREE, ebooks are a lot better (updated/numerous) you just have to search and poof.. INFO.. will they provide paid EBOOKS? well
4. Health Units – why not check the facilities first and medicines? I don’t question the Healthcare Professionals, just the equipments they need and their workforce count.
5. SUC’s – Tuition fees (may be called SUC but the tuitions are too high) classrooms,
6. Train Stations – well I hope you use your smartphone cautiously. how about new trains and improved service first? ah.. internet is better, so passengers won’t recognize the long wait.
7. Ports – GO! These might help. But I don’t know how much.
8. LGU Offices and Nat’l Gov’t Offices – This should also help, but why not just do your jobs there? as in with accuracy, efficiency, no petiks and no corruption?
just my two cents guys…
sorry for my bad english…
JAMES says:
@justify
That 1.4B you just calculated is only good for a month of Internet? The Philippine government should be alarmed of what they should be thinking by themselves, then. I think it will be around for like a year, dividing it by 12 or whatever.. So if it’s more than 12months… Ah, I don’t know.
@CAPS SOME MORE
additional lang, I am excited about this one. I even want to check it my own and experience it all year round where a place near me. But, again, that’s me, I have more than one WiFi enabled device. I just hope that those who really need it have even one to use this initiative.
OK, BYE. #ICAPSLOCKMOPARAINTENSE #DOTCCSSST :)
JAMES says:
See? You got my point. @CAPS SOME MORE.
I was an IT instructor for an SUC and a product of one so I know how it feels. Now an IT practitioner, who are you telling that I don’t even checked the benefits of it, I like free Internet, thou, I can buy myself. I need it like a basic need for me.. But don’t think it’s an up for grabs for the every person who goes on those places. Let the Internet.org do that. (even i think it’s just too good to hear, it also does money under its advocacy,? My own opinion anyway).
Those departments/Bureaus aren’t even doing much of their jobs for keeping Filipinos lives better. Now, you tell me that internet for all could’ve been the longing solution for those predicaments I’ve stated? Well, if you, till reading here, didn’t yet get my point, atleast you too together with the DOST should find a way better things to focus on as yout priorities.
justify says:
Its DOST not DOTC and just think about it their budget of 1.4billion to cater 105,000 users with 256kbps internet will cost more than 13k per person. You can get atleast 10Mbps speed on this amount with no FUP.
CAPS some more says:
While you are right to raise those concerns, those things are not part of the duty of DOTC. If anything I applaud them for at least taking the proper steps in integrating communication technology in public sectors.
To address your sarcastic remarks:
1) is the concern of DSWD
2) DepEd
3) You’re stressing things over nothing. If anything it allows them to search what books they would need from the Library
4) DoH
5) CHED/DepEd
6) beacuse upgrading to bullet-trains is so cheap right? I heard the United States has 1000 of them! (get the sarcasm there? Not even the United States has upgraded trains)
7) DTI(?) and Customs
8) What about the citizens who would go to these offices for applications and other needs?
You Filipinos always like to complain about everything. Learn to appreciate the small benefits – it’s a step forward.
TL:DR – the points you raised are not the issue of DOTC.
CubeBadminton says:
A nice idea perhaps but, a really STUPID MOVE! 1.4B budget, give that to DepEd instead, so they can hire more teachers, and thats just one time cost… how about monthly opex, for the bandwidth alone thats roughly 1M a month imagine that, if we pay teachers 30K a month that about 3000 teachers. And plus what expertise does DoST have on running an Internet Service? Government can put that money into better use.
CubeBadminton says:
Correction 30K monthly salary thats 30 teachers not 3000 but still thats 30 teachers. Im sure with the 1.4B they can build more than 30 classrooms for the 30 teachers which they can fund with just the opex for bandwidth alone.
BantayBalota says:
Malapit na kasi election kaya pumupondo na. Hehehe…
SpiderWak says:
tama mukhang pang one time big time lang ito.. after a year wala na to..gagatasan lang. Magkano kaya kikitain ng mga gahaman dito? sigh..
james says:
wala po mamangyari yan,, ginawa nila isa png butas para nakawin uli pera nyu..ang pilipino ay di pobre ang pilipino ay di namamalomos,,kaya nito mg gastos para sa sarili nya wifi,,ang dapat sana gawin ng gobeyrno natin ai aayusin ang problem sa capping at na pka bagal na net connection..wala cla gagastosin kundi ibigay daan sa foreign telco companies para ma invest dito sa pinas,,un lng po kailangan natin,at ung 1.4 B na yan pwede igastos sa png generate ng new jobs at png gawa ng new hospitals,,etc,, correct me if i’m wrong…gising PINOY AT MG LABAN KA..
Rinzler says:
Is that Kilobits (Kbps) or Kilobytes (KB/s)? Feeling ko kilobits yan.
jack says:
Pagdating sa internet connectivity, small b (bits) lang po lagi. Ginabamit lang ang B (Bytes) pagdating sa storage. :-)
Tourist says:
Maybe this is a step to a more “tourist friendly” Philippines. With that project implemented, Philippines would be on par with the rest of the world in terms of being supportive to tourist. This strategy is in-line with the goal of the administration to make Philippines a tourism oriented nation.
Louis H. Guinez says:
Why do I have a nagging feeling that this will be just for a few months and become non existent? or like those fast food outlets/ malls that offer wifi but no signal.Nag wifi pa!?
wise says:
After ni PNoy Wala na to
Manny says:
That’s quite expensive. Magkano kickback natin dyan? Sana i-allocate na lang yang Php1.4B sa mga talagang kailangan ng karamihan. We are not a 1st nor 2nd class country to allocate public funds to those things.
leetkrew says:
how about for those who works online. Some people thinks that internet is for facebook and multimedia use only and they are wrong.
If we will not think forward or think something innovative, and if we will stick on that housing problem, trust me, hundred years from now we are still thinking of that very same problem.
Floyd says:
that’s the very first thing that came to my mind as well, Manny! Every public project i see (road “repair”, infrastructure, etc.), i think “sino’t ilang milyon na naman ang ma kurakot sa project na ‘to?” our country is governed by parasites and criminals. and most of them are Christians. what a shame. i’d be embarrassed to be a relative to any of them crooks.
Manny says:
I respect your opinion @Dominique. But we should still define what are the “basic needs” vs. what are just considered “needs” by some or even “wants”. We can live without Internet, right? Maybe that explains it. No need to enumerate what are the humans basic needs… and free wi-fi access is I’m sure not included on that list. 1 billion is still 1 billion, and we should appropriate that to other government services rather than for free wi-fi.
zagre says:
Agree!
Dominique says:
I think I would have to disagree with you sir….The “Internet” is now a basic necessity today just like food, water, and shelter. This has just been passed by the United Nations itself.
Besides having WIFI that means you get access to free communication itself.
But I would have to agree with the Kickbacks though…..At least if that’s the case then the people deserve a faster connection that the one they originally intended.
anonymous says:
Ok na yan for simple fb and non-data intensive cpoy paste err I mean research (weh) works.
Pag may nagreklamo na di siya makapag COC/brave frontier dito….
snatcher says:
Medyo gaganda ang kita nito….
Snitcher says:
Susumbong kita ser!
JuanDelaCruz says:
The cap will be 128KB per month. :D
NotaSheep says:
hmm… i guess this is a big step forward when it comes to communication at least, problem now are the hackers that uses the connection to get data from other people.