(File photo) TACLOBAN CITY - Free public Wi-Fi has been installed in 217 sites in Eastern Visayas in the past four years, prioritizing health facilities and Covid-19 vaccination sites, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said on Tuesday. In 2021 alone, the DICT has spent at least PHP26.8 million to carry out the project in the region's six provinces, responding to growing demand for connectivity, DICT Eastern Visayas Regional Director Felix Tabanao Jr. said. Of the 217 sites covered by the free Wi-Fi project, 120 are in Leyte, 41 in Southern Leyte, 37 in Eastern Samar, 12 in Biliran, six in Samar, and one in Northern Samar. "Since 2020, the DICT has been prioritizing the roll-out and improvement of ICT equipment and infrastructure throughout the country, particularly in public hospitals, vaccination sites, and Covid-19 facilities to support the government initiatives in abating the effects of ongoing pandemic," Tabanao told the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Limited budget and rising demand for internet connectivity prompted the DICT to prioritize health facilities to aid the government's pandemic response and recovery. Other sites also covered are terminals, airports, schools, government buildings, and other public places. "The plan is to build our own digital infrastructure so that we will be able to serve our people especially those who are in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas across the region. We are positive that this will be sustained in the next administration since it is mandated under the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act," Tabanao added. The absence of national broadband in the Visayas prompted the DICT to tap the existing managed internet services in the region's provinces. For remote areas, the DICT uses a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) to establish an internet connection. "The coverage is up to 50 meters from the access point. This can support about 50 to 100 devices connected at once," said Dante Rosales, chief of DICT regional technical operations division. The DICT's Free Wi-Fi for All - Free Public Internet Access Program aims to accelerate the government's efforts in enhancing Internet accessibility for Filipinos to strengthen economic, social, and educational opportunities and bridge the digital divide. (PNA) }