DepEd, DICT boost internet access drive for all public schools by 2025

The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) are accelerating efforts to achieve full internet connectivity in all public schools nationwide by the end of 2025, aiming to bridge the digital divide and enhance the quality of education through improved access to online learning resources and digital tools.

- BY MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT

DepEd, in coordination with DICT, announced on Wednesday, July 9, that it is intensifying efforts to connect all public schools to the internet by the end of 2025—an ambitious target made more attainable with the formal launch of Phases 2 and 3 of the National Fiber Backbone (NFB) on July 7 in Leyte, led by President Marcos.

The expansion of the NFB adds 31 new connection points across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao—boosting bandwidth and digital access for provinces, government offices, and public schools, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).

Citing the President, DepEd noted that the initiative is set to benefit over 600 government sites and nearly 17 million Filipinos.

For DepEd, the NFB marks a turning point.

With nearly 47,000 schools nationwide—many still lacking reliable internet—the Department is racing against time to close the connectivity gap.