The government’s fiber backbone project has landed in Mindanao, expected to deliver over 1,000 kilometers of broadband lines for stable connectivity. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) kicked off the construction of the National Fiber Backbone’s (NFB) fourth and fifth legs in Mindanao. Information Secretary Henry Aguda said the project will bring more than 1,000 kilometers of fiber lines to the region, covering high-traffic cities like Bukidnon, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, and Zamboanga, initially speeding up internet access in state offices, public schools, and government-run hospitals. The project will then be expanded to bring internet service to every barangay in the island, beneficial for cities like Butuan aspiring to draw more investors in the digital sector. Once completed, the NFB will introduce connectivity to 772 previously unserved barangays, trimming the digital gap in Davao Region and Caraga to 20 percent. Aguda urged authorities and communities to maximize the NFB for good use, employing its service for education and livelihood, and to protect the fiber cable of the infrastructure. The NFB is part of the P16.1-billion Philippine Digital Infrastructure Project, a priority program of the Marcos administration, financed by the World Bank, aiming to extend the NFB to Visayas and Mindanao to bridge the digital divide.
