{"id":13469,"date":"2014-06-04T04:09:01","date_gmt":"2014-06-03T20:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=13469"},"modified":"2014-06-04T00:19:23","modified_gmt":"2014-06-03T16:19:23","slug":"free-internet-access-bill-draws-support-from-private-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/06\/04\/free-internet-access-bill-draws-support-from-private-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"Free Internet access bill draws support from private sector"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MANILA — A Senate bill providing free Wi-Fi access in public places in Metro Manila drew support from the private sector including the country\u2019s leading telecommunication companies.<\/p>\n

\u201dWe really support the measure. We do not see negative impact for so long as there would be an agreement between private telcos and government on the use of the facilities,\u201d Joel Pinera of legal department of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) Co. said in a Senate hearing on Senate Bill 2232 or Free Metro Manila WiFi Act of 2014 on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Derek Lim, senior legal counsel of GlobeTelecom, Inc., said they support the proposed bill \u201cbecause it is good for our country and people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lim, however, expressed reservation on the Section 5 of the bill which provides: \u201cthese hotspots will be made available using initially the services of existing commercial Internet service providers until such time that the national broadband system has been installed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201dHow long that initial period would be? If the IPS will provide Internet infrastructures, will there be exemption from taxes?,\u201d Lim asked Senate committee on science and technology chairman, Senator Ralph Recto.<\/p>\n

Recto, author of the free WiFi bill, promised to include the Globe\u2019s concerns in the technical working group (TWG) discussion.<\/p>\n

\u201dOur business model in the Philippines is that we will leave it to the private sector the operation and maintenance and not to compete with the private sector,\u201d Recto said.<\/p>\n

Louis Napoleon Casambre, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) undersecretary for Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO), said Recto\u2019s bill is \u2018doable and implementable\u2019 project.<\/p>\n

\u201dThe Internet or broadband connectivity has been proven worldwide to be a key driver for economic growth,\u201d Casambre said.<\/p>\n

In fact, Casambre said the ICTO has proposed similar free Internet access under the DOST\u2019s 2014 budget proposal.<\/p>\n

Casambre supported Recto\u2019s proposal to give to the private sector the maintenance and operation of the proposed free WiFi connectivity to the private sector.<\/p>\n

Under the bill, the free Internet in Metro Manila can be accessible in all government buildings; health centers and hospitals; public schools; parks; airports; libraries; tollways and expressways; Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) and other national roads; transport terminals; ports; and Light Rail Transit, Metro Rail Transit and Philippine National Railway stations.<\/p>\n

While calling it a doable project in Metro Manila, Casambre said installing free Internet connectivity in rural areas specially in the fourth to six class municipalities entails big budget due to limited infrastructures.<\/p>\n

\u201dBased on Department of Education statistics, only 17 percent of the 38,596 public elementary schools are areas with Internet connectivity. There is a challenge of infrastructures connectivity,\u201d Casambre said.<\/p>\n

The Bloggers and Netizens for Democracy (BAND) and Infocomm Technology Association of the Philippines (ITAP) also supported the measure but urged Recto to include provisions that would protect free WiFi from misuses and abuses.<\/p>\n

\u201dThere is a temptation to abuse free services. There should be safeguards with regard to the misuse and abuses as it might be used to attack people and government infrastructure. We support the bill but details should be threshed out,\u201d Toby Purisima of BAND legal department said.<\/p>\n

Recto promised to address the concerns but urged the public to \u201cfocus on the positive\u201d side of the measure.<\/p>\n

\u201dAny technology can be used for good and for bad purpose. It\u2019s like a cellphone, it can be used to harm people but it has more positive benefits,\u201d Recto said.<\/p>\n

Recto has said the free Internet access in Metro Manila would attract more tourists and more economic activities.<\/p>\n

Aside from SB 2232, the Senate panel also tackled Senate Bill 2124 or ICT Education Act of 2014 which aims to provide more efficient learning by equipping public schools with computers and WiFi to be at par with private schools.<\/p>\n

\u201dThese twin measures highlight the importance of ensuring broader access to computer-based learning and internet to bridge the digital divide,\u201d Recto said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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