TACLOBAN CITY: The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has successfully established 1,048 free Wi-Fi access points in public locations throughout Eastern Visayas, with a particular focus on remote areas. This initiative marks a significant expansion in public Internet access in the region, as highlighted by Dante Rosales, chief of DICT 8 (Eastern Visayas) technical operations division, during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas event on Tuesday. Rosales noted that this figure represents a fourfold increase compared to the installations completed prior to 2023. According to Philippines News Agency, the expansion has been made possible by a PHP120 million funding boost from the House of Representatives, supplementing the budget allocated by the DICT central office. This financial support has facilitated the transformative impact of the program, which Rosales emphasized has greatly benefited unserved and underserved communities in Eastern Visayas. By providing these communities with acces s to essential services such as education, government resources, economic opportunities, health information, and social networks, the program has effectively narrowed the digital divide between rural and urban areas, allowing greater participation in the digital age. The free Wi-Fi project covers 1,048 sites across the region, with 245 sites in Leyte, 42 in Southern Leyte, 123 in Eastern Samar, 72 in Biliran, 110 in Samar, and 456 in Northern Samar. The absence of a national broadband infrastructure in the Visayas has led the DICT to utilize existing managed Internet services within the provinces. To facilitate Internet connectivity in remote areas, the DICT employs a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) technology, which supports connectivity for about 50 to 100 devices within a 50-meter range of each access point. Launched in 2019, the DICT's Free Wi-Fi for All - Free Public Internet Access Program aims to accelerate government efforts to enhance Internet accessibility for Filipinos. This initiative seeks to bolster economic, social, and educational opportunities while bridging the digital divide across the nation.