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DICT Free Wi-Fi Program Reaches 15,000 Barangays Nationwide

The Department of Information and Communications Technology said its free public internet program now covers 15,000 barangays, with priority given to schools, health centers, and plazas in remote areas.

By Carlo Mendoza · Technology Correspondent ·

Students use tablets connected to a free public Wi-Fi site at a barangay community center.
Students use tablets connected to a free public Wi-Fi site at a barangay community center.

MANILA — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) announced Monday that its free public Wi-Fi program has reached 15,000 barangays nationwide, hitting 71 percent of its full deployment target ahead of schedule.

The program prioritizes public schools, rural health units, plazas, and transport terminals in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, where average connection speeds have improved from 3 Mbps to 18 Mbps over the past two years.

DICT said usage data shows students account for nearly half of all sessions, followed by residents accessing government online services such as PhilHealth portals, civil registry requests, and job-matching platforms.

Connectivity is no longer a luxury. For a student in a far-flung barangay, a stable connection is the difference between dropping out and graduating.

The department said it is piloting satellite backhaul in 400 island barangays where fiber remains impractical, in partnership with two low-earth-orbit satellite providers.

Full nationwide coverage of all 42,000 barangays is targeted by the end of 2028, backed by a proposed ₱9.5-billion allocation in the 2027 national budget now pending in Congress.