DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday signed the revised Republic Act 10929 in August 2017, also known as the “Free Internet Access in Public Places Act”.
The Act mandates the government, including local government units (LGUs), to provide free internet access in government offices and public places.
The law sets the minimum internet speed per user should be two megabits per second (2 Mbps) or as prescribed by the National Broadband Plan.
Under the law, the following areas will get free internet access :
- national and local government offices
- public basic education institutions
- state universities and colleges
- technology institutions
- public hospitals, health centers, and rural health units
- public parks, plazas, libraries, and barangay reading centers
- public airports and seaports
- public transport terminals
But, the law prohibits access to pornographic websites.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will be the lead agency to oversee the effective and efficient implementation of the law.
The law was passed on August 3, 2017. Duterte signed the original bill in September 2017 but it underwent revision, and on Wednesday, he signed the revised version of the law. Newsline
