juan-connectPALO, Leyte, Nov. (PNA) -– Public places in this town will soon have a free internet connection with the installation of vital equipment needed for the project.

The free wi-fi will be available next week with the completion of necessary infrastructure funded by the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) under the Juan Konek Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places Project, said Ben Oriondo, the project’s focal person.

Internet can be accessed in public areas such as town plaza, town hall, local health office, some secondary schools near the commercial district, and two hospitals.

Earlier, DICT Undersecretary for management and operations Jorge Sarmiento and Palo Mayor Remedios L. Petilla signed the deal for the free wi-fi.

Currently, the local government is just waiting for the DICT to supply the internet connection.

“This project will really help students especially that all needed information can be found on the web,” Oriondo said.

This project aims to speed up the government’s efforts in improving internet accessibility for Filipinos to be able to increase the economic, social and educational opportunities and the rising digital divide can be linked.

Palo town is one of the 1,634 towns and cities in the country that will be provided with free public wifi zones in two years through the Juan Konek Project.

The DICT targets to put up wi-fi zones in 1,634 towns in the country by 2017. Since its launching mid this year, the Juan Konek Project has already covered 179 public places as of first week of November 2016. (PNA) Yazmin Ellen C. Espina & Aldwin John M. Cadayong