HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

oe RECEIVED
Republic of the Philippines 26 JUL 2016
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES} DATE:
Quezon City Tine: d
SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS Ey
First Regular Session

RREEISTPATON UNIT
BRISA AK S

House BILL No. _1957

Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The internet was first made available in the Philippines in 1994 and since then, its
user base has grown to a massive 44,000,000 million in our country or approximately 43.5%
of our total population according to the Internet Live Stats.

It has changed the way we receive and provide information. We rely on the web for
the latest news, entertainment, information, research and an overall new way of
communicating and doing business. Many people do many basic things through the net-
research for assignments, banking, shopping, connect to our loved ones abroad, look for job
vacancies and many others. On-line business has also become popular and the home-based
internet job industry has grown in the recent years.

As Article XVI, Section 10 Of the Philippine Constitution states: "The State shall
provide the policy environment for the full development of Filipino capability and the
emergence of communication structures suitable to the needs and aspirations of the nation
and the balanced flow of information into, out of, and across the country, in accordance with
a policy that respects the freedom of speech and of the press."

The provision of free wi-fi access will greatly help in enabling our people to cope with
the changing times and empower them to help themselves via giving them access to
information without the need to spend.

Currently, the available free wi-fi is very limited and enacting a law that will ensure
free wi-fi for all will guarantee people from all walks of life free access and equal opportunity
to learn, earn, and discover what the web has to offer.

}UNTING



Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

5?
House eu no._ 199

Introduced by HON. GUS S. TAMBUNTING

AN ACT
PROVIDING FREE PUBLIC WIRELESS ACCESS IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS,
TERMINALS, PARKS AND PLAZAS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in the
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. This Act shall be known as the “Free Public Wi-Fi Act.”

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. The State recognizes the vital role of information
and communications technology in nation-building and with appropriate training programs
and institutional policy changes, the State shall develop human resources to foster an
information technology intensive country.

In pursuance thereof, the State shall create an information-friendly environment and
shall encourage the active participation of the private sector, local government units and
community based organizations in the production, distribution and application of investments
and services in telecommunications and information technology to ensure the availability,
diversity and affordability of such products and services for national development.

SECTION 3. Installation of wireless Internet Connections. The government, including
the local government units (LGUs) and government owned and controlled corporations
(GOCCs) shall install broadband hotspots in public areas that will provide a stable and
reliable wireless internet connection at all times, thereby encouraging discourse and trade in
internet-related goods, services and content.

Areas that will be provided with broadband hotspots shall include the following:

a) All buildings of national government offices, including its regional and satellite
offices, provincial capitols and city and municipal halls;

b) Public primary and secondary schools;

C) Buildings of state universities and colleges;

d) Public libraries, parks and plazas;

e) Public hospitals and rural health units; and

f) Public transport terminals such as airports, seaports, MRT/LRT stations and public
bus terminals.


SECTION 4. Internet Service Provider. Consistent with its objective of providing
internet service for all, the Department of Information and Communications Technology
(DICT) shall provide the internet connectivity necessary to comply with all the provisions of
this Act. The internet connectivity infrastructure required for a mesh of networks shall cover
public spaces throughout the country that will be provided with broadband hotspots. In
cases where the DICT is technically unable to provide internet connectivity, said hotspots will
be made available using initially existing commercial internet service providers (ISPs).

The DICT shall likewise be the lead agency for the promotion and implementation of
the government's information and communications technology related efforts which shall
include policy formulation and industry development and shall monitor the progress of the
implementation of a broadband infrastructure and its maintenance.

SECTION 5. Wi-Fi Access. Within a period of two (2) years, all public spaces as stated
in this Act shall be ensured a range of broadband hotspots. Internet connection to any of the
broadband hotspots in the designated public spaces shall not be restricted with passwords.
Only in cases where there is a clear and present security or technical risk that cannot be
remedied through normal technical solutions shall the administration or management of
public broadband hotspots limit access to the network through the use of passwords, which
shall, however, be easily provided to the public upon request.

No fees shall be collected for users to connect to the internet using the public
broadband hotspots or the free public wi-fi network.

SECTION 6. Non-collection of Data. The government shall respect the privacy of
citizens who use the public broadband hotspots. In no case shall the administration or
management of public broadband hotspots engage in the collection, use or disclosure of user
data including the collection of anonymous traffic data, in accordance with existing laws.

SECTION 7. Separability Clause. If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or
unconstitutional, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain valid and
subsisting.

SECTION 8. Repealing Clause. All laws, decrees, issuances, orders, rules and
regulations or portions thereof, contrary to, or inconsistent with any of the provisions of this
Act are hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 9. Fffectivity. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days from the date of its
publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved,