Bam hopes nat'l broadband plan will boost PH internet infra

Sen. Bam Aquino hopes that the government's national broadband plan will help leapfrog the country's current internet infrastructure.

Sen. Bam said newly-created Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will present its national broadband plans to the Committee on Science and Technology, which he chairs, on Dec. 6.

"I'm hopeful that it will be a good proposal and that we can leapfrog the current infrastructure," Sen. Bam said in a media interview.

Sen. Bam expects the DICT to present different options on the national broadband plan: use the current infrastructure, put up its own system or find other methodologies to connect.

"We have to know how much it will cost and what are the benefits of each option. It all boils down to cost-benefit analysis," Sen. Bam said. "I will be cautious and wait for them to present properly."

"We have to work on solutions that will give the public cheaper, better quality internet for the long term," he added.

According to Sen. Bam, other stakeholders will also have a chance to scrutinize and propose changes that will fine-tune the DICT's plan.

"Hopefully, we will be able to come to a consensus on what we need to do to be able to improve our internet infrastructure," Sen. Bam said.

Sen. Bam also invited the National Telecommunications Commission to the hearing to inquire about the status of new players that will help improve the competitive landscape.

In the 16th Congress, Sen. Bam spearheaded several hearings on the slow and expensive Internet service in the country.

As chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology in the 17th Congress, he has filed several bills that will improve internet quality in the Philippines.