Free public wifi lauded

INFORMATION and technology chair of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Davao City Councilor Joanne Bonguyan-Quilos welcomed the approved free public wifi signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday.

Bonguyan-Quilos said the national bill signed on August 2 is synonymous to the same ordinance passed in the city of Davao in 2016.

"We are actually very thankful because before the national bill na naaprove, the city of Davao has already approved an ordinance in 2016 about public Wifi. Actually the concept is the same; the city's partner is the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) that was previously under the Department of Science and Technology. DICT became a separate department so it became our partner because they have budget," Bonguyan-Quilos said.

Duterte on August 2 signed RA 10929 or the "Free Internet Access in Public Places Act", that allows the public to access

free internet connection in "national and local government offices; public basic education institutions; state universities and colleges, and technology institutions; public hospitals, health centers, and rural health units; public parks, plazas, libraries and barangay reading centers; public airports and seaports; and public transport terminals."

The law provides that no fees shall be collected from users to connect to the public internet access points. It also states that the limited internet access shall only be effective "when there is clear and present technical risk or breach that cannot be remedied through ordinary technical solutions". KVC (For full story visit www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/)