House to tackle bill on free Wi-Fi in plenary

THE PROPOSAL for free Wi-Fi access in public places is a step closer to becoming a law after the members of House and Senate came up with a bicameral committee report on the measure last week.

The report has yet to be ratified by both chambers and signed by the committee members but is scheduled for the House plenary on Tuesday, House Majority Leader Rodolfo C. Fariñas said.

“[T]he bicam report is still for signature of the bicam members. The target submission is on Tuesday, May 23, 2017,” Mr. Fariñas said in a text message yesterday.

House Bill No. 5225 or the proposed Act Mandating the Provision of Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Areas was one of the promises of President Rodrigo R. Duterte in his first State of the Nation Address last year.

Under the measure, the government, including local government units and government-owned and –controlled corporations, should install broadband hot spots in public areas that will provide a “stable and reliable” wireless Internet connection.

Areas that will be provided under the proposed law are:

* All buildings of National Government Offices, including regional and satellite offices, provincial capitols, and city and municipal halls;

* Public primary and secondary schools;

* Buildings of State Universities and Colleges;

* Public libraries, parks and plazas; * Barangay reading centers; * Public hospitals and rural health units; and

* Public transportation terminals such as airports, seaports, Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit stations, and public bus terminals

The measure also mandates the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to provide the Internet connectivity “necessary to comply with the provisions” of the measure.

“In cases where the DICT is unable to provide Internet connectivity, said hot spots shall be made available using initially the services of existing commercial internet service providers,” the bill read.

Also under the measure, the DICT is tasked to ensure that the minimum Internet speed must be 10 megabits per second.

It also specifies that the government would respect the privacy of users who will connect to the public Wi- Fi, as collection of user data will not be allowed.

It also requires the DICT to prepare an annual report on the status of the implementation of the proposed law which will be submitted to the Office of the President, Senate president, the Senate committee on science and technology, Speaker of the House, and the House committee on information and communications technology.

Free Internet access in public places was one of the 14 legislative priorities identified by both chambers of Congress earlier this month.