Latest news with #EconomicJournalistsAssociationofthePhilippines
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DOTr looking to pilot automated fare collection in MRT 3 by July
'By July, we're going to be launching the first automated fare collection carousels. This is initial,' Dizon said at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) Infrastructure Forum in Makati City. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is looking to pilot the automated fare collection carousels at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) next month in a bid to offer more payment methods, Transportation Secretary Vivencio 'Vince' Dizon said Monday. According to Dizon, the AFCs will allow customers of the MRT to pay by tapping their debit and credit cards at the counters of the MRT3. 'By July, we're going to be launching the first automated fare collection carousels. This is initial,' Dizon said at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP) Infrastructure Forum in Makati City. 'I know you're all excited about AFCs. So am I, but this is just a pilot which we're going to be doing on MRT3, but this will be your modern carousels,' he added, noting that the rollout is expected by the third week of the month. Cashless payments, particularly GCash, was enabled as an option at the MRT3 — which runs along EDSA from North Avenue to Taft Avenue — in May. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
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
