The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is setting up free WiFi in some of the country’s tourist hotbeds, allocating over P112 million for the project.
The DICT is looking for an internet service provider (ISP) with satellite capability to deliver the P112.43-million WiFi Internet Access in Tourists Spots (WITS).
The project will provide free internet in 323 areas identified as tourist hotspots, covering Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
In Aklan, WITS will cover the Caticlan Jetty Port and Tabon Port, both of which send off tourists on ferries to Boracay. In Palawan, the program will put up free WiFi at the El Nido Beach in El Nido and White Beach in San Vicente.
Tourist hotbeds in the mountain are also listed as beneficiaries for the project. WITS will reach the registration area for the Hanging Coffins and Bontoc Museum, both in Mountain Province.
In Mindanao, the project will cover even the tourist destinations in some of the island’s farthest locations, including 20 sites in Zamboanga Peninsula, three in Basilan, two in Sulu and three in Tawi-Tawi.
The DICT is looking for an ISP that can supply, install and commission enterprise-grade internet per location using low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
At the minimum, the service must deliver a download bandwidth of 100 Mbps, an upload speed of 10 Mbps, a data allocation of two TB and latency of below 60 milliseconds.
The contract will last 365 days, and the service must be online within 30 days from the issuance of the notice to proceed. Funding will be sourced from the special account in the general fund of the DICT, under its budget for the Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP).
The DICT is scheduled to conduct a pre-bid conference on Aug. 6. Afterward, the agency will end submissions and open the bids on Aug. 18.
The DICT is rushing to widen internet access as instructed by President Marcos, who aims to end his term in 2028 with 60 percent of Filipinos connected to the web.
The DICT is bridging the digital divide through a mix of private partnerships and own programs, such as the FPIAP, which places WiFi sites in public spaces.