The first phase of the national broadband program is crucial in achieving economic transformation in the Philippines, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Friday.
During the grand launch of the Phase 1 of the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City, Marcos said the project is an “enormous breakthrough,” as his administration continues its quest to increase internet connectivity and service capacity in the country.
Marcos said the NFB Program would also be a “very big push” in helping nano enterprises and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) enter the digital world to promote their businesses.
“That is such an important part of the economic transformation that we are hoping to achieve here in the Philippines,” he said.
“This is the infrastructure that will open employment opportunities, improve market efficiency, attract foreign investment, and stimulate
livelihood across the different sectors of our economy and our society. It will close the digital divide and bring to our people the transformative power of free and fast access to information,” Marcos added.
Marcos expressed optimism about the completion of the five other phases of the NFB Project by 2026 to increase the number of Filipinos, especially those in remote areas, who can “enjoy the benefits of having modern and state-of-the-art connections.”
This, as he stressed that the internet has become the “backbone of trade, communications, and transactions within and amongst communities,” as well as an “economic spine that props up our growth and supports our development.”
“More importantly, we understand that in order for Filipinos to reach their full potential, we must invest in a fast and reliable internet. It gives me pleasure to lead the grand launch of Phase 1 of the first and only government-owned National Fiber Backbone,” Marcos said.
“Even this early, we are assured that the NFB Phase 1 will already make a significant impact on our internet connectivity as well as in the day-to-day activities of ordinary Filipinos.”
Spanning 1,245 kilometers, the NFB Phase 1 is composed of 28 nodes from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to Roces, Quezon City with an initial 600 Gbps optical spectrum capacity to serve the needs of the government and communities.
The first phase of the project aims to bring high-speed internet access to at least 14 provinces in Northern and Central Luzon, two National Government Data Centers, and four BCDA ecozones.
Marcos said the completion of the first phase of the project would also empower 346 national and local government offices connected to GovNet, boosting their overall operational efficiency and generating over PHP145 million in potential savings annually.
“Additionally, it will extend a digital lifeline to more than 3,000 Filipinos and different Free Wi-Fi Sites, enabling direct internet access for approximately 750,000 beneficiaries in Regions 1, 2, 3, and here in the NCR (National Capital Region),” he said.
The NFB Program covers 28,000 kilometers of fiber that will connect the Islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Subsequent phases, notably Phases 2 and 3, will broaden network reach, lengthening connectivity across various regions in the country and extending broadband internet access to government institutions and public spaces.
The NFB Program is a vital component of the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s National Broadband Plan, a blueprint for broadband infrastructure that aims to accelerate the deployment of fiber optic cable and wireless technologies to improve internet speed and affordability. (PNA)
Photo credit: Facebook/pcogovph