National Broadband Plan Gets 2 Terabyte of Internet Download Speed Boost

Over nagging issues regarding slow, expensive and limited internet, the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) now believes the National Broadband Plan (NBP) will reverse these tides and translate services into faster, affordable, and with a universal coverage.

In fact, in its latest development, the historic connection of two giant submarine cables that form the backbone of the digital super expressway from Los Angeles via the Pacific Ocean and the Asian backbone through Hongkong via the West Philippine Sea and traverses over north Luzon would boost the Philippine internet system with enough download speed of capacities of two telecommunications giants, combined.

Thus shares the DICT through Technical Coordination and Support Division chief, Engr. Dina Flores, who updated information and tourism officers about the government’s initiatives in information and communication technology in line with the DICT vision for the country to be “an innovative, safe and happy nation that thrives through and is enabled by Information and Communications Technology.

The information and tourism officers gathered in Bohol for the 24th Regional Association of Development Information Officers in Regional 7 (RADIO-7) Consultative Conference this year, last September 19-21 at the Dumalu-an Beach Resort in Panglao.

DICT’s Engr Flores said the NBP is the blueprint in establishing info-structures across the country.

Also called Philippine Integrated Infostructure (PhII), these info-structures will provide demand responsive core and aggregation network for NGAs, LGUs, SUCs, health units, she said.

It also aims to develop market opportunities in countryside that will also be beneficial to businesses.

According to her, the NBP, though, is not just about establishing info-structures as it will also be the guide to necessary policy and regulatory reforms that will hasten and secure the process, among others.

In fact, this year, the NBP actually had a great boost with the construction of the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure, Flores excitedly shared.

With the cooperation of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and Facebook, the NBP now gets an ultra-high speed information highway will connect international submarine cables from Hongkong in Asia and Los Angeles in the USA.

The international submarine cables get to Baler Aurora, and then goes through the Luzon bypass infrastructure via fiber optic cable that would be strung to connect the LA Submarine cable to Hongkong submarine cable over land, this should solve the slow connectivity when it gives the government 2 terabytes of download speed in the Philippines, Engr Flores said.

DICT also confirmed the new connection that lets Facebook, as first-party user, provide 2 million Mbps download speed here.
It is almost equal to the current combined capacity of the existing telecommunication companies, according to the DICT.

This will facilitate the implementation of the government’s connectivity programs, from backbone to the last mile, she capped her talk during the three day convention. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)