Likewise, the “free wi-fi” concept would check off several of the boxes on the list of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This feature is key, and would become the main source of problems later on, so remember it. In August 2017, Congress passed Republic Act (RA) 10929, or the “Free Internet in Public Places Act,” which authorized the creation of a Free Public Internet Access Fund (FPIAF) to pay for the establishment of internet connection points in government offices, public schools, universities, hospitals, parks, and transportation terminals. RA 10929 gave the DICT, National Telecommunications Commission, and other concerned agencies a year to develop a plan. Since the free wi-fi program could be connected to several SDG objectives, the government would be within bounds to approach the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for some assistance, and so it did.

Source: Manila Times May 12, 2021 16:24 UTC