DOST’s P3-B wi-fi project hit for being ‘slow’

By Cheneen R. Capon
An internet rights advocate group hit the Department of Science and Technology – Information and Communication Office’s (DOST-ICTO)’s P3-billion free wi-fi project for its low speed and data collection.
Dubbed as “Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places,” the DOST-ICTO said the project will serve 105,000 concurrent user once it is completed this year.
The Wi-Fi hotspots will be available in public places like town plazas; regional, municipal, and barangay health units; libraries; offices of various government agencies; lobbies of hospitals; and all public elementary and secondary schools
Digibak-Dakila project manager Julia Jasmine Sta. Romana, internet rights advocate, said the government’s project will not prosper because of its low speed and data allocation.
“It will not provide a maximum opportunity to people living in the fourth, fifth, and sixth class municipalities because of its low data and speed allocation,” she said.
Earlier, DOST executive director for E-Society Bettina Quimson said the project will connect third, fourth, fifth, and sixth class municipalities that are known to be the poorest areas of the country. She said residents will be able to check email, call through Skype, access Facebook, send messages through Viber, and use Wattpad.
Based on the project preview, the Department of Science and Technology- Information and Communication Office (DOST-ICTO) “shall install hotspots having a speed of 256 kilobytes per second (kbps) being the lowest prevailing speed requirement for a broadband service.”
Reports said a data volume based Fair Usage Policy will be implemented to ensure that there will be equitable distribution of the service.
“This is not even enough to watch an educational video or access an educational website,” Sta. Romana said.
“The low allocation will definitely defeat the goal of the project which is free internet access in public places,” She added.
Sta. Romana, however, added that the project is “a small step in the creation of necessary ICT (information and communications technology) infrastructure for more municipalities in the country to be connected.”
Sta. Romana suggested that government make use of the program to expedite government transactions in low-level municipalities, where internet connectivity is a serious challenge.
With the implementation of the program, the government is hoping to promote online jobs as an alternative source of income.
However, with the speed of only 256 kbps, creating an online industry in the municipalities will not prosper.