The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is expanding internet connectivity to geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) in six provinces in Luzon.
DICT signed a contract with Stellarsat Solutions Inc. to provide subscriptions of Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Internet Service for the GIDAs in Ilocos Norte, Quezon, Pangasinan, Kalinga, Benguet and Ifugao, with combined cost of over P411 million, according to a document posted on the DICT website.
DICT said the initiative is part of its Broadband ng Masa Program which seeks to bridge the digital divide for indigenous people students through education and technology.
VSAT is a satellite communication system that provides internet connectivity via small satellite dishes.
These systems are commonly used for providing internet access in remote or rural areas where traditional terrestrial internet infrastructure like fiber or cable is unavailable.
Last November, DICT in partnership with Converge ICT Solutions Inc., through its parent company ComClark Network and Technology Corp., turned over equipment for the Universal Internet Subscription for GIDA (UISG) Project, which aims to provide digital access to more than 2,000 GIDAs across the country and marks a significant stride toward achieving digital inclusivity.
A variety of technologies will be used, appropriately matched to the areas for deployment, DICT said. For areas with viable geographical terrain, fiber-enabled access points will be established. These fiber-enabled access points number around 1,400 sites.
Hilly and mountainous areas, meanwhile, will be serviced with fixed VSATs, which can be distributed to far-flung and isolated communities nationwide for satellite-enabled connectivity.
The UISG project, through engagements with an assortment of connectivity providers, currently tracks a total of 4,741 active sites in 1,871 locations, providing connectivity across all 17 regions of the country, DICT said.
This equates to a total of 806TB of internet data currently consumed by the public.