Photo caption: Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda (left, center) and Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang (right, center) discuss collaboration for the National Broadband Plan on the sidelines of the Philippine state visit to India in New Delhi. With them are BCDA Officer-in-Charge for Conversion and Development Group Mark P. Torres (leftmost) and DICT Undersecretary for Policy, Legal and Communications Atty. Sarah Maria Sison (rightmost).
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) plan to fully harness the two terabit-per-second (Tbps) bandwidth allocation from global technology giant Meta, a move set to accelerate the implementation of the Philippine government’s National Broadband Plan.
This initiative builds on the Luzon Bypass Infrastructure (LBI) project, a strategic collaboration among DICT, BCDA, and Meta, which laid out a 240-kilometer fiber corridor connecting Baler, Aurora on the east to San Fernando, La Union on the west. BCDA constructed the infrastructure, including two cable landing stations, four repeater stations, and terrestrial facilities. DICT, meanwhile, oversees its operation. The corridor is designed to support two additional submarine cable operators.
DICT is already utilizing 100 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) of the capacity under the Phase 1 of the National Fiber Backbone project, providing faster and more affordable connectivity to government offices, schools, and communities. The planned activation of the full 2Tbps represents a 20-fold increase in capacity, enabling nationwide, high-speed connectivity at an unprecedented scale.
“Now that we have physical infrastructure in place, it’s time to activate its full potential,” said BCDA President and CEO Joshua M. Bingcang. “The 2Tbps bandwidth capacity presents a game-changing opportunity to bridge the digital divide, especially in far-flung areas and future smart cities like New Clark City.”
Engr. Bingcang added that this collaboration with DICT and Meta is all about the whole-of-government’s push for digital equity. “With this capacity, we can support millions of simultaneous high-speed connections, expand internet access across the country, and power the smart cities and digital industries of the future.”
Once integrated, the 2Tbps bandwidth will accelerate the rollout of high-capacity internet to more government offices, schools, economic zones, as well as unserved and underserved communities across the country. This also bolsters digital infrastructure in BCDA-managed estates such as New Clark City, Clark Freeport Zone, Camp John Hay, and Poro Point Freeport Zone, supporting data-driven industries, smart logistics, and AI-powered public services.
The 2Tbps allocation will form the backbone of the national broadband network, complementing other major subsea cable projects and local fiber deployments. BCDA and DICT are currently finalizing technical arrangements, implementation timelines, and the long-term integration of the utilization of the 2Tbps bandwidth into the country’s broadband strategy.
This initiative forms part of BCDA’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities), by expanding access to affordable internet, fostering innovation, and ensuring no community is left behind in the digital transition.