The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) should prioritize the issuance of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for Executive Order 127, which liberalizes the access to satellite services and enables private companies to provide digital connectivity in unserved and underserved areas.
This, according to civil-society network Covid-19 Action Network (CAN), will help in the pandemic response initiatives, as the executive order removes barriers to access to satellites.
“The current Covid-19 pandemic has explicitly shown us how vital reliable Internet access and connectivity is for economic growth, delivery of basic services, elimination of red tape, freedom of information, disaster preparedness, public safety, readiness for climate change, adaptability to the online set up of work and school, and health system resilience,” the group said.
With the release of the implementing rules and regulations of the executive order, signed on March 10 this year, private companies may start offering satellite Internet services to unserved and underserved areas.
Satellite Internet is seen as a last mile solution for areas where fixed line and wireless Internet connectivity is scarce due to commercial viability issues.
“The lack of digital connectivity and the legal barriers to Internet access have impaired our task of flattening the pandemic curve,” the group noted.
The IRR for EO 127 should have been released 30 days after its signing. It has been delayed for more than a month.
“We are appealing to Secretary [Gregorio] Honasan II to issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations, which will be consistent with the intended reform,” CAN said. “In the midst of the heightened risks brought about by unrelenting Covid-19 transmission, we view the EO and the outcome it will bring as a crucial strategy to contain the pandemic.”
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