DICT wants internet service costs down by as much as 50%
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is looking to bring down internet service provider (ISP) costs by as much as 50%, with the expected increase in competition and facility sharing.
According to DICT Secretary Henry Aguda, the agency is looking to make internet in the country more affordable, as it targets to bring down ISP costs by 30% to 50%.
'Over time po 'yan (This will be over time). As technology becomes more advanced, the price per megabyte drops. As competition increases and as telcos become more efficient, the price will really drop,' he said during the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) Infrastructure Forum in Makati City.
Aguda said competition is expected to increase with the Konektadong Pinoy Bill, which has been ratified by both chambers of Congress and is now awaiting the President's signature.
'That's one, kasi darating na 'yung mga (because of the arrival of the) third-party providers that go straight to internet services, but we will harmonize it with the current telcos ngayon,' he said.
Under the measure, new data transmission players are no longer required to secure a legislative franchise or Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), a move that removes key filters historically used to evaluate legal, financial, technical, and cybersecurity readiness.
Sought for the timeline for the cost reduction, Aguda said that this should come before the end of the administration's term in 2028.
'Before pa dapat yan. Mahirap kasing i-pin it down. You need to mix the price together with the free services that they provide. Confident ako 'yung mga telco magco-compete na eh, so malamang bababa 'yan,' he said.
(It should be before (2028). It is quite difficult to pin down. You need to mix the price together with the free services that they provide. I am confident that the telcos will compete, so this will come down.)
Moving forward, Aguda said the DICT also targets to increase the government's free wifi access points to 50,000 in 2028 from 15,717 in 2024.
'We are not building just fiber or satellites. We're building a more just, informed, and inclusive republic,' he said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
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