DICT backs satellite-based internet connectivity

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is supporting early preparatory efforts to establish satellite-based internet connectivity in the Philippines.

Acting DICT Secretary Emmanuel Rey Caintic said that the establishment of satellite-based internet connectivity services in the country was a step forward in the national government’s push toward digital transformation.

Caintic said that DICT was continuously coordinating with government agencies such as the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and private sector groups such as the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) for the conduct of tests on delivering satellite-based internet in different areas of the country.

DICT recently partnered with the PCCI to pilot test satellite broadband connectivity in select remote sites with limited or no internet access. The PCCI has not named the outfit providing the satellite-based internet that they will have tested with the DICT.

The agency had supported the signing of Executive Order 127 in 2020, which amended EO 467 of 1998 to remove the franchise requirement in the access of international satellite systems.

“Your DICT believes that the adoption of satellite-based internet connectivity in the country would advance our digital transformation agenda. To help the government, businesses, schools, and the larger society, we need to fast-track the buildup of our ICT infrastructure to meet the increase in demand,” Caintic said.