DICT, ComClark team up to provide connectivity to 2,000 remote areas

The DICT has partnered with ComClark Network and Technology Corp. to provide digital access to thousands of remote areas.

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Providing connectivity to the marginalized

The DICT and Converge ICT Solutions Inc., through its parent company ComClark, held the Launch and Ceremonial Turn-Over of Equipment of the Universal Internet Subscription for GIDA (UISG) Project on November 21. This partnership aims to provide digital access to more than 2,000 geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) across the country.

The Free Public Internet Access Program, under the Broadband ng Masa Initiative, seeks to bridge the digital divide and connect Filipinos to limitless opportunities the digital economy offers. Our collaboration with ComClark for the UISG Project exemplifies our dedication to turning this vision into reality. We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of the digital revolution reach every corner of our nation, DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy said.

Today, we are putting marginalized communities and groups front and center of the digital agenda. We are honored to be in close partnership with the DICT in this nationwide effort to bring connectivity to the farthest reaches of the country, ComClark CEO and President Dennis Anthony Uy said.

The UISG is a key component in the deployment of fixed VSATs (satellite communications), fiber technology, and satellite-communications-on-the-move terminals to more than 2,000 areas identified as socially and economically disadvantaged. DICT said this will help the department in assisting other government agencies and LGUs with their connectivity needs during calamities.

ComClark Chief Operations Officer Benedicto Bulatao said that an unprecedented 145-gigabyte capacity was allocated for the mixed-technology project.

Technologies to be used will also be matched to the area. For those 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 will be serviced with fixed VSATs, which can be distributed to far-flung and isolated communities nationwide for satellite-enabled connectivity.

SatCom on the Satellite-on-the-Move terminals will also be deployed for this project. These are powerful and highly portable antennas that can be hooked up to moving vehicles, either automobiles or watercraft, making them ideal for augmenting disaster and emergency response. Thirty-four of these units, which come with a carry-on case and a genset, were recently handed over to DICT for distribution to their regional offices.

The UISG Project currently has a total of 4,741 active sites in 1,871 locations providing connectivity across all 17 regions of the country. This equates to a total of 806TB of internet data currently consumed by the public. The supply of the equipment between DICT and ComClark is a project implemented with We Are IT Philippines, Inc. and Telered Technologies and Services Corp. Currently, 97 percent of the sites have already been activated and accepted and are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

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Source: DICT