DICT CAN HELP MANAGE COUNTRY'S BROADBAND NETWORK - ANGARA

Senator Edgardo J. Angara said that the creation of the proposed Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will be helpful in managing the country's broadband network.

Angara cited the United States' General Services Administration (GSA) Networx, a program that manages the largest set of government contracts for American telecommunications. U.S. federal agencies are able to source their information and communications technology (ICT) solutions from private contractors and vendors at competitive prices through GSA Networx, which awarded service contracts to AT&T Corp., Verizon Business Services and Qwest Government Services, Inc.

"The broadband network is one of the country's most important assets. It allows us to keep up with the fast-changing pace of technological innovation. We can even create a government broadband network (GBN) to link all government agencies and share information efficiently," said Angara. "But until now, we have not clearly defined who is in charge of overseeing and managing the country's broadband network.

"The creation of the DICT will help us in administering out assets more efficiently. These broadband and 3G services can generate revenues when properly managed and bid out. We need a department devoted specifically to the country's long-term ICT development."

In 2010 alone, the Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry made revenues of US$9 billion and created 525,000 direct jobs, as well as 1.312 million more jobs in ancillary industries, growing immensely from only $1.3 billion in revenues and 101,000 employees in 2004.

Authored and sponsored by Angara, the measure (Senate Bill No. 50 under Committee Report No. 53) creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) reorganizes the communications-related agencies under the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) into a separate entity.

Angara, Chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, noted that the counterpart measure (House Bill no. 4667) has already been approved in the House of Representatives.