Free public WiFi reaches Tawi-Tawi

TAWI-TAWI, Philippines — The southernmost province of the Philippines has received free WiFi sites from the government, speeding up internet service in one of the worst islands to go online.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) brought here the Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP), installing 53 sites in 25 locations of the province.

The sites – powered by Data Lake Inc., Handlink Inc. and We Are IT Philippines Inc. – provide free internet access to the residents of Tawi-Tawi, who are suffering from the worst connectivity quality in the Philippines.

Information Secretary Henry Aguda said the FPIAP seeks to bridge the digital gap in underserved markets like Tawi-Tawi. He underscored the importance of quality internet these days, when many transactions, from payment to studies, are done online.

Aguda said he sees the launch of FPIAP here as one of the ways to open up more opportunities in education, governance, health, livelihood, among others. He expects FPIAP to cover more far-flung regions in pursuit of the government’s digital inclusion program.

Tawi-Tawi is the southernmost province in the Philippines, with the province closer to Malaysia than to Manila, making it challenging to put up infrastructure here.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which includes Tawi-Tawi, recorded an internet speed of 16.2 Mbps in 2024, according to connectivity analyst Ookla.

For comparison, Metro Manila has an average download speed of 63.33 Mbps, exposing disparity in internet quality among regions.

On top of launching free WiFi sites, the DICT turned over a telemedicine platform to a regional health unit here. The platform, supplied by medical app mWell, aims to market digital health care like teleconsultation in Tawi-Tawi.

Moreover, the DICT handed over technological equipment to Abdel Mustafa Elementary School in Sitangkai through the Tech4ED Program. Sitangkai is the farthest municipality to the south of the Philippines, making it a pump boat ride away from Malaysia.