DICT-Negros Occidental office gets free Wi-Fi

THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has launched its Free Wi-Fi for All Program at its Negros Occidental Provincial Office in Bacolod City.

DICT-Negros Occidental Provincial Officer Romeo Tome, who led the launching with assistant secretary Felino Castro on Thursday, October 24, said their office is now a free Wi-Fi live site, or with four megabits per second (mbps) speed and effectivity range of 30 to 50 meters.

Tome said this is the second site launched in the province, next to that in San Enrique earlier this month.

“This is actually the DICT’s first free Wi-Fi access site, for a government agency, in Negros Occidental,” he said, adding that the one in San Enrique was the first for local government units (LGUs) in the province.

In 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 10929, or the “Free Internet Access in Public Places Act,” mainly aimed at promoting knowledge-building among citizens and enable them to participate in the evolving information and communication age.

Under the law, free internet is provided at access points such as national and local government offices, public basic education institutions, state universities and colleges, technology institutions, public hospitals, health centers, rural health units, public parks, plazas, libraries, barangay reading centers, public airports and seaports, and public transport terminals.

From People Connect program, it was changed to Free Wi-Fi for All: Free Public Internet Access program just last July under the new secretary of the agency, former senator Gregorio Honasan.

In Negros Occidental, the free Wi-Fi is up for launching among other LGUs such as E.B. Magalona, Pulupandan, Ilog, Murcia, Candoni, Moises Padilla, La Castellana, Hinigaran, and Binalbagan.

“These LGUs already have the equipment but they still lack bandwidth,” Tome said, reiterating that the launching in these localities is targeted this year.

Since the project covers first to sixth class municipalities in the country, other recipient-LGUs in the province are Valladolid, Hinoba-an, Isabela, Manapla, Toboso, Salvador Benedicto, Cauayan, Calatrava, and Pontevedra.

For the DICT-Negros Occidental, the free Wi-Fi project will be able to cater to more LGUs and government agencies conducting trainings on digital literacy at the office.

Tome said it will also boost the operation of its Tech4Ed Center, particularly in providing trainings to the recipients.

“Applicants for clearances at the nearby office of the National Bureau of Investigation - Bacolod will also benefit from the free Wi-Fi access as it enables them to process online,” he added.

Like other access points, that in DICT-Negros Occidental Provincial Office also has three-level usage.

For first level, users can avail of 50 megabytes (MB) per day without password. The second level requires password and username, but at 100 MB per day.

The third level, on the other hand, that allows users to consume 300 MB per day is intended for public key infrastructure like sending and using of digital signature.