MANILA, Phillipines — Netizens expressed their delight as The House of Representatives finally approved the third and final hearing of House Bill 1550 that will provide free wireless Internet accessibility in public places all over the country.
Soon, public places like national government offices, municipal halls and provincial capitals, state universities and colleges, public parks and plazas, public hospitals and public transportation terminals will have free Wi-Fi.
House Bill 1550, also known as Free Public Wi-Fi Act was proposed by Kabataan party-list Terry Ridon. This project’s implementing agency is the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) under the care of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Cited from the explanatory note from his bill, Ridon further explained the purpose of this proposed bill:
“The Free Public Wi-Fi Act seeks to move government one step forward in providing democratic access to the Internet. Notwithstanding the issue of the mass accessibility and availability of personal electronic devices that people have to use in order to access public networks, government has to recognize that the Internet is an important mechanism in delivering some of its services, and a valuable tool for people’s participation in governance and in democracy.”
Source: Philstar
