Phl 99 percent Internet connected by 2015 – DOST

MANILA, Philippines – The Science and Technology department’s Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) aims to make the Philippines 99 percent connected to the Internet by 2015.

It will be done through the nationwide adoption of its Television White Space (TVWS) technology project to provide Internet connectivity in far-flung rural areas and isolated island communities.

Science and Technology Undersecretary Louis Casambre, ICTO executive director, said the nationwide rollout of TVWS connectivity project was expected to cost roughly P3.5 billion.

“We hope that by next year, TV White Space technologies will be adopted for nationwide use,” he said.

TVWS is expected to provide connectivity to all government agencies, particularly in far-flung municipalities with no Internet services.

Casambre said the P3.5-billion cost estimate only covers the “last mile” areas identified to be currently underserved, or unserved by local telecommunications companies (telcos).

“That’s a very rough estimate,” he said.

TVWS refers to the vacant frequencies located between broadcast TV channels, which can be used to provide wireless data connectivity to remote communities.

Under the TVWS project, these unused TV frequencies will be used to accommodate Internet band with connectivity.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has successfully conducted pilot testing of the TVWS technology.

Providing the technology is TVWS pioneering Filipino-Singaporean firm Nityo Infotech in Bohol province.

The ICTO had also tapped Nityo Infotech to hurriedly set up their TVWS system in Tacloban City and in Palo, Leyte a week after Super Typhoon Yolanda devastated Eastern Visayas last Nov. 8.

Internet connectivity was vital to speeding up disaster relief and recovery efforts.

Also supporing the pilot of TVWS technology are Microsoft and Power Automation, Co., a subsidiary of Singapore Power.

Microsoft and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported the deployment of the TVWS in Palo, Leyte and Tacloban City.

Casambre said the speed with which Nityo Infotech set up the TVWS system proved the huge potential of TVWS technology as a solution to the “last mile” problem of connecting far-flung communities to the internet.

“We are actually developing another pilot area in southern Mindanao,” he said.

Roy del Rosario, Nityo Infotech managing director, said they were ready to pour in additional investment for the expansion of the national broadband connectivity of the Philippines.

Their partnership with ICTO in the pilot of the TVWS technology was a manifestation of their commitment to support the government in its effort to provide Internet connectivity to all Filipinos, he added.

During the Arroyo administration, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) proposed the now-infamous national broadband network (NBN) project of Chinese telco firm ZTE Corp. at a cost of $329 million to provide Internet connectivity to all government agencies.

In an interview, Science and Technology Assistant Secretary Bettina Quimson, ICTO deputy executive director, said TVWS was proving to be a quicker and cheaper solution to provide Internet connectivity to isolated rural areas.

“It is the most ideal solution,” she said.

Quimson said the TVWS technology allowed “quick deployment” and easy access once set up. –Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star)