Gov’t ties up with Facebook for high-speed Internet

The government has teamed up with Facebook to bring 2 terabytes highspeed Internet, which is almost equal to the current capacity of the country’s telco duopoly, by as early as 2019 in fulfillment of the Duterte administration’s promise to improve the country’s poor Internet service and at lower cost.

Signing the Landing Party Agreement yesterday were Nico Roehrich, Facebook sourcing manager for Asia, ICT Secretary Eliseo Rio and Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) President Vince Perez. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, National Securiry Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., and other government officials witnessed the signing ceremony held yesterday at Shangri-La Global City.

Under the agreement, Facebook will construct and operate a submarine cable system that will land in the cable stations in Baler, Aurora on the east, and in Poro Point in San Fernando, La Union in the west. The cable system will provide direct connections from Luzon to Internet hubs in the United States and Asia.

For its part, BCDA will build the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure, consisting of two cable landing stations connected by a 250-kilometer long cable network corridor. The Luzon Bypass Infrastructure leverages the geographical advantage of the Philippines by providing a terrestrial bypass route for international submarine cable owners seeking diversity from the Luzon Strait, which has a history of multiple simultaneous submarine cable breakdowns.

In exchange for utilizing the bypass infrastructure, Facebook will provide the government with spec trum equivalent to at least 2 million MBPS (2 terabytes), significantly expanding the capacity available for the government’s connectivity programs.

DICT OIC-Secretary Eliseo Rio said they are still finalizing the exact cost for this project, but a BCDA official said the agency will spend R975 million for the two landing stations and repeater stations. Construction of these stations will also be put on the bidding block.

DICT will operate and maintain the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure for 25 years, maintain the related facilities and provide last mile connectivity in the country.

“This two terabyte spectrum is almost equal to the current combined capacity of Globe and Smart/PLDT,” Rio said. Both telcos have 2.6 million mbps.

Rio, however, clarified that government will not become a third telco player in the country. He said that the delivery of the middle mile will be granted to the small cable operators in the country which will in turn provide to the internet service providers for the last mile or the internet users.

Even the country’s duopoly Smart and Globe may also tap the government’s spectrum to augment their capability, Rio said.

A BCDA official also said that BCDA will be using 500,000 or fourth of the 2 million spectrum for the use of its subsidiaries – New Clark City, Subic Bay, Camp John Hay, and Poro Point.