DICT boosts digital connectivity in remote areas
By Connie Calipay
LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Information and Communications Technology in Bicol (DICT-5) has started installing digital devices to provide free and accessible connectivity to various Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) in the region.
In a statement on Tuesday, DICT-5 Director Rachel Ann Grabador said the initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision to boost digitalization and widen connectivity in the Philippines.
“It aims to enhance digital connectivity and improve internet accessibility in GIDAs, empowering local communities, schools, government offices, and other sectors with essential online access,” Grabador said.
In an interview also on Tuesday, Engineer Ralph Dela Torre, focal person for the DICT-5’s Free Wi-Fi for All program, said 60 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite Starlink units, valued at PHP14.7 million, will be distributed to remote areas through the Broad Band ng Masa (BBM) program.
“So far, we have already provided 19 Starlink units in different locations across the region. Our technical team is deployed in the recipients’ barangays as we work to install these 60 units by 2025,” he said.
Dela Torre added that feedback from beneficiaries, particularly students, has been overwhelmingly positive regarding the installed Starlink units, which have addressed the challenges of digital connectivity caused by limited internet access.
“The recipients of the Starlink units were selected based on different factors. Some are on requests from stakeholders, such as barangays or schools in need of free Wi-Fi. We also visited extremely remote areas where no other means of connectivity existed. With the BBM program, students, teachers, and residents can now access the internet and communicate more effectively,” he added.
He said the free Wi-Fi service has primarily been installed in schools and barangay halls in identified GIDAs, offering speeds of up to 200 megabits per second (mbps).
“For the locations where we have installed Starlink units, we utilize a monitoring tool to ensure that our free Wi-Fi sites are operational. We maintain contact with the barangays to report any issues with the equipment. Our engineers are available on-site to resolve any technical problems that may arise. While the DICT retains the responsibility for maintenance, we have coordinators to assist with on-the-ground issues, as they are directly involved at the site,” he added.
The DICT installed Starlink units in the barangays and schools in the municipalities of Bulan, Donsol (two units), Gubat, Matnog, Magallanes, and Sta. Magdalena, and Castilla in Sorsogon province; as well as in Labo, Capalonga, and Santa Elena (two units each) in Camarines Norte; Caramoan (two units) in Camarines Sur; and two units each in Sto. Domingo and Daraga in Albay province. (with a report from Angelica Serrano, OJT/PNA)
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