THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said they expect the bandwidth allocation from Meta Platforms, Inc. to bring more remote communities online while enabling plans to build smart cities.
In a statement on Tuesday, BCDA said that it plans to harness the two terabit-per-second (Tbps) bandwidth allocation from Meta.
“Now that we have physical infrastructure in place, it’s time to activate its full potential,” BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang said.
“The 2 Tbps bandwidth capacity presents a game-changing opportunity to bridge the digital divide, especially in far-flung areas and future smart cities like New Clark City,” he added.
According to the BCDA, the allocation from Meta builds on the 240-kilometer Luzon Bypass Infrastructure, which was constructed by the BCDA and overseen by DICT.
Currently, the DICT is utilizing 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) of capacity from the first phase of the National Fiber Backbone project.
“The planned activation of the full 2 Tbps represents a 20-fold increase in capacity, enabling nationwide, high-speed connectivity at an unprecedented scale,” the BCDA said.
In particular, Mr. Bingcang said the additional capacity will allow the government to “support millions of simultaneous high-speed connections, expand internet access across the country, and power the smart cities and digital industries of the future.”
The allocation from Meta is expected to accelerate the rollout of high-capacity internet to more government offices, schools, economic zones, and unserved and underserved communities.
“The allocation will form the backbone of the national broadband network, complementing other major subsea cable projects and local fiber deployments,” the BCDA said.
“The BCDA and DICT are currently finalizing technical arrangements, implementation timelines, and the long-term integration of the utilization of the 2 Tbps bandwidth into the country’s broadband strategy,” it added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile