/ AFP / Justin Tallis/
(Eagle News) — The Philippine government has partnered with Facebook to create an Internet infrastructure that will improve Internet speeds in the country.
The agreement between the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority on the one hand, and the social media networking giant on the other was signed on Wednesday.
Under the Strategic Engagement and Collaboration to Undertake a Reliable and Efficient Government Internet, the BCDA will bid out the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure, or the two cable landing stations in Baler, Aurora and in Poro Point in San Fernando, La Union.
Facebook, on the other hand, will build the cable system that will be hosted by those stations.
The DICT is in charge of operating the infrastructure for 25 years.
Under the agreement, Facebook will also be allowed to use the infrastructure, which will ensure it has connectivity between the United States and Luzon and other hubs in Asia.
In exchange for Facebook’s use of such, it will provide the Philippines with a spectrum equivalent to at least 2 million megabits per second.
The infrastructure will be operational by 2019.