BIZ BUZZ: Bridging the digital divide
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology have banded together to enhance internet connectivity across the archipelago.
The two government offices are fully utilizing the 2 terabit-per-second bandwidth allocation from global technology giant Meta, a move seen to advance the government’s National Broadband Plan.
This bandwidth allocation is seen to be a “game-changing” opportunity to bridge the digital divide, especially in far-flung areas and future smart cities like New Clark City, BCDA president and CEO Joshua Bingcang said.
“With this capacity, we can support millions of simultaneous high-speed connections, expand internet access across the country, and power the smart cities and digital industries of the future,” Bingcang said.
BCDA intends to accelerate the rollout of high-capacity internet to more government offices, schools, economic zones, as well as unserved and underserved communities.
It also vowed to improve digital infrastructure at BCDA-managed estates, including New Clark City, Clark Freeport Zone, Camp John Hay and Poro Point Freeport Zone.
As both parties iron out the details, including the bandwidth utilization and implementation timelines, here’s hoping that this will indeed move the needle in making local internet more reliable and affordable.
