(Eagle News)–The Department of Information and Communications Technology will launch 20 Wi-Fi sites in various parts of Basilan on Tuesday, June 30.
The DICT said the following will be launched in Isabela and Lamitan through the department’s Free Wi-Fi for All Program:
- DICT Basilan Provincial Office
- Basilan National High School
- Basilan Provincial Capitol
- Basilan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office
- Basilan Provincial Library
- Infantry Brigade101 Headquarters, Isabela City
- Isabela City Hall
- Isabela City Maritime Police
- Isabela City Port
- Isabela City Post Office
- Malamawi National High School
- 18th Infantry Battalion, Armed Forces of the Philippines Camp, Lamitan City
- Business Center, Lamitan City
- Datu Kalun Plaza, Lamitan City
- Digital Hub, Lamitan City
- Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Lamitan City
- Lamitan City Hall
- Lamitan City Health Office
- Lamitan City Port
- Lamitan City Infirmary
According to the department, the W-FI sites will not only provide free Internet access to users, but also ” improve delivery of critical government services,” among others.
“The launch is a milestone achievement for DICT in its efforts to reach the unserved and underserved areas in the country with DICT’s Mindanao Cluster 1 (DICT-MC1) overcoming the challenge of a series of bidding failures for the Internet service in Basilan,” the department said.
DICT MC1 Director Maria Teresa M. Camba said the initiative started in December 2019, when a backhaul link from Zamboanga City was installed to connect Isabela City, Basilan.
She said the department’s technical team mounted a 33-meter guyed-trylon tower inside the premise of DICT Basilan Office and installed an AirFiber 5U IP Radio facing Zamboanga City.
In January 2020, the same was done in Lamitan City with the support of the local government unit.
“We cannot emphasize further the importance of connectivity and access, especially amid the health crisis we are in. It has become the lifeblood of our society, providing a sense of normalcy in our lives,. ” ICT department Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said.